In A Heartbeat
by RosexScorpius4ever
Summary: It is often said that it is the past that defines the future. In their case, their present day choices affected the Wizarding World as they know it. If she had not opened her heart to him, who knows what would have happened? LE/JP SB/OC RL/OC AP/FL
1. The Dark Forest

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Finally, it's back! I updated this story for you guys in hopes that it will be clearer. While most of the plot is the same, there are some major plot changes so you may want to re-read it. Thanks for being so patient and thank you in particular to **StillInLoveWithSirius** for being my 700th reviewer!

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 1 – The Dark Forest

"Why are we here, Severus?" Lily asks nervously. It is a few days before their O.W.L exams and Severus had sent Lily a message saying he wants to talk to her.

"I needed to talk to you and I didn't want to be overheard," whispers Severus. He hopes his friends are not planning on being here tonight. That would completely ruin his plan.

"Your friends aren't here tonight are they, Sev?" asks Lily sharply. She has always been able to read him like a book.

Severus shakes his head. It is not a complete lie. He honestly does not know if they are here or not. So technically he is not lying, he is just not telling the entire truth.

That is the problem with Severus Snape and Lily Evans' friendship. They have been friends for years but he never tells her the complete truth. He only tells her enough so that she will not be held accountable for anything _and_ so that she will not get angry with him. She picked up on this early on and the thought that he does not trust her saddens her immensely.

He stops abruptly and she bumps into him. He catches her before she falls and helps her stand upright.

"So what do you need to talk to me about?" asks Lily puzzled.

Severus shuffles uncomfortably. He had rehearsed what he is planning on saying but it is different actually talking face-to-face with Lily. She has this effect on him that renders him speechless, especially if he looks into her deep, knowing, emerald oases.

"Well…lately I've noticed…well, I'm just going to come out and say it. It seems like we're sort of drifting apart as friends."

Lily bites back a sarcastic remark and instead nods sadly.

"I know," she replies. "It was easier when we were younger and naïve. The fact that we're in two different Houses that hate each other…and have friends who loathe the other's friends…"

"It makes it harder to stay close friends," finishes Severus. "And truthfully, you're my only friend at home on Spinners End."

He does not mention that Lily is the only thing that keeps him sane at home. If he did not have her he would be on his own when his parents go at each other. Not that he ever talks about that with her, or anyone for that matter. He would never subject her to that sort of pain. He cares too deeply for her.

"You're my only friend too," says Lily honestly. "All my other friends are now at secondary schools or have listened to Petunia calling me a freak and ran off." She looks away from him and her hair covers her face, disabling him from seeing the expressive eyes that he loves so much.

Severus' insides burn with anger. He knows Lily's elder sister Petunia is a Muggle and he despises her for always calling Lily names such as "freak". It is obvious to everyone that she is just jealous but this does nothing to console Lily. As far as Severus is concerned, Lily should just drop her but how could he ever tell her that? She would slap him across the face and rightfully so.

"Anyway," continues Severus. "You get the Daily Prophet, correct?"

"Yes." Lily has a feeling she knows where this is going but keeps silent.

"Well then I'm sure you have heard that the Dark Lord is –"

"Why won't you call him by his true name, Severus?" asks Lily. "Why won't you call him _Voldemort_." Severus winces. "'Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself'," she quotes.

"Where'd you hear that?" sneers Severus.

"Professor Dumbledore."

"Yes, well Dumbledore always did fancy himself not afraid of the Dark Lord."

"That's because he knows better than to be afraid of someone like Voldemort."

"And what exactly _is_ the Dark Lord?"

"A coward and a bully." Severus narrows his eyes. "Don't look at me like that. Besides, I thought only his followers call him the_ Dark Lord_." He gulps. "So it's true. You and your friends have been coming out here to be recruited."

"No, no we haven't," says Severus too quickly. "He doesn't accept those who are still in school."

"Hey Snape, what are you doing out –" begins his friend Erebus Avery. He stops short and sneers. "What is _she_ doing out here?"

"_She_ happens to have a name and I could ask you the same question," says Lily vehemently.

"How _dare_ you speak to me, you filthy little Mudblood," spits Avery. Lily glares at him.

"Don't call her that," hisses Severus. His voice is so low though that over the winds Avery can pretend to have not heard him.

"No, it's okay, Severus," says Lily. "He can all me whatever he likes. He'd probably get in trouble with his Master if he _didn't_ insult me and my parentage."

Avery's eyes widen. Lily rarely sees fear in any of the Slytherins eyes but there it is, as clear as day.

"What did you tell her?" hisses Avery to Severus.

"Nothing! I didn't even know you guys were going to be here tonight." He lowers his voice so Lily cannot hear them over the wind.

"The Dark Lord had a change of plans," replies Avery shrugging. The next part Lily is able to hear. "Bellatrix tipped us off that He decided to come here to plot on how to infiltrate the –"

Whatever Voldemort is planning though, Lily does not find out, because at that moment four people appear out from behind a tree. It is James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Peter, however, is in the back behind Remus.

"Why if it isn't Potty, Loopy, Pettigrew, and _Black_," sneers Avery. "Black, how does it feel to be a disgrace to your family?"

Sirius growls and James and Remus have to restrain him from attacking.

"You'd better watch your arse, Avery," warns James. "Sirius here doesn't need a wand to mess up your already ugly face."

"Oh, I must've touched a nerve," jeers Avery adding fuel to the fire. It is at that moment that James and Remus cannot hold Sirius back any longer. He breaks free from their grasp and to their horror, attacks Avery Muggle style. His wand lies on the forest floor forgotten.

"I (PUNCH) WOULDN'T (KICK) WANT (JAB) TO (PUNCH) BE (KICK) RELATED (JAB) TO (PUNCH) THOSE (KICK) BLOODY (JAB) BASTARDS (PUNCH) IF (KICK) I (JAB) HAD (PUNCH) THE (KICK) EFFING (JAB) CHOICE!" growls Sirius. Lily is absolutely horrified. She has never seen Sirius so angry before and result to this sort of violence. It makes her sick to her stomach.

He gets up stiffly and straightens out his robes before casting another dirty look at Avery. Avery is now sporting a broken nose, jaw, and several bruises around the neck area. Not to mention being kicked in the groin is going to leave some marks. All Sirius has to show there was a struggle is a split lip.

"Come on Evans," says James curtly. For once she listens him and follows the four out without another word to Severus. He had not said a word through the whole encounter with the Marauders but is glaring at James' retreating figure.

Once out of the forest, James turns on Lily.

"What the bloody hell were you doing in there, Evans?" he cries furiously. "Are you cruising for a bruising?"

"Ha, that's funny Prongs," laughs Sirius, back to his old self. James glares at him. "Right, sorry. I'll shut up now."

"It so happens that I was talking to Severus when Avery showed up," says Lily angrily. "Not that it's any of your business."

"Like hell it isn't my business, Evans!" cries James. "Damn it, Evans, Voldemort is loose in the Dark Forest – it's everybody's business!"

"Not the fact that I was meeting Severus there, it isn't!"

"Why do you still meet with him, Lily?" asks Remus quietly. She almost forgot his presence. "You guys are drifting further and further apart as friends and you both recognize it. Don't you think it's time to end it before you get in too deep and get hurt?"

Lily contemplates what he said and knows he is right. However…

"Remus, I know that you guys don't like him, but –"

"It's not a matter of like or dislike, Lily. When it comes down to it, Snape is getting in way over his head with supporting Voldemort."

"Merlin Evans, if he sticks his head any higher up Voldemort's arse he'll come out of his throat," cries Sirius. Lily makes a face. "You should listen to Moony. He knows what he's talking about. _Siriusly_."

The other four groan at Sirius' attempt at the pun. It had grown old four years ago when he used it for the first time.

"Merlin Black, I don't think I've met anyone less serious," smirks Lily as they walk through the castle's front doors. "What, was the name jackass taken already when your mum was choosing your name?"

Sirius snorts. "She was saving it for my brother. We all knew it would fit him perfectly."

Everyone laughs, including Lily. Sirius always knows how to lighten the mood.

"So, what were you guys doing out anyway?" asks Lily.

The four exchange a look saying "say nothing." Whatever they were doing, Lily assumes, is strictly prohibited. All the more reason for her to find out.

"It's not like I'm going to tell anyone," says Lily earnestly. "I'd reluctantly abuse my power as Prefect out of curiosity. Plus, you basically saved my life so I owe you one."

James snorts. "Should have known there was a catch. Like you said earlier though, it's none of your business."

"But you didn't drop it," persists Lily.

"Quit while you're ahead Evans, I'm not going to tell you," says James grinning his charming smile that makes most girls swoon.

Lily is not like most girls though.

"Black?"

"Sorry Evans."

"Remus?"

Remus shakes his head sadly. "Sorry Lily." She goes to her last resort.

"Peter?"

"Well…we were actually out so we could –" begins Peter but Sirius claps his hand over his mouth.

"Darn, so close," says Lily disappointed. James smirks. "You're an arse Potter."

"Touché."

They finally reach the Gryffindor Tower where the Fat Lady is snoozing. At their footsteps she wakes up agitated.

"What are you five doing out at this hour?" she asks angrily. She never has liked being woken up. Then again neither does Lily at this hour so she is not one to talk.

Lily and Remus show her their Prefect badges and once they give the password she allows them in.

"And you three?" she asks James, Peter, and Sirius.

"Erm…" begins Sirius.

"Looks like you're finding the comfiest part of the floor out here."

Lily and Remus crack up laughing. Remus because he feels sorry for his friends and Lily because she is enjoying the image of James' disgruntled face in the morning.

"We should really let them in," says Remus, and Lily sighs.

"I suppose you're right." She opens the door for them and the three of them scramble into the common room before they can be told off.

"Am I right in assuming that Evans was all against letting us in?" asks James to Remus. Remus shrugs.

"She caved pretty easily," he jokes, and Lily sticks her tongue out at him.

James' eyes twinkle in a way that Lily does not like.

"Does that mean you'll reconsider going out with me?" he asks hopefully.

"Not a chance in hell, Potter," she says annoyed. "My answer still stands." With a disdainful look at him, she runs off to bed trying hard not to relive the night's events.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The week's O.W.L's testing are a breeze in both Lily and James' opinion. Lily, like Remus, has studied like crazy beginning all the way back of the end of their third year. James on the other hand, like Sirius, has not bothered studying at all and still passes with flying colours. This is one of the many things that Lily finds annoying about James. He does not seem to give a damn about his grades and he is still one of the top students of their year. Now it comes down to their second to last test. The written portion of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Once again, it is the last day of the exams (finally) and everyone is starting to breath easily again. However, with the stress of their second to last "make it or break it" test, the Great Hall is completely silent as they take their Defense Against the Dark Arts Test. Sunshine is streaming through the high windows onto the bent heads, which shine chestnut and copper and gold in the bright light.

"Five more minutes!" squeaks Professor Flitwick.

James yawns hugely and rumples up his hair, making it even messier than it had been. Then, with a glance towards Professor Flitwick, he turns in his seat and grins at Sirius who is sitting four seats behind him.

James gives Sirius a thumbs-up and laughs as he is lounging in his chair at his ease, tilting it back on two legs. James turns back to his seat and starts doodling on a spare bit of parchment. He draws a snitch and then traces the letters 'L.E.' in it. He cannot get his mind off her no matter how much she infuriates him. She has him running in circles constantly questioning his actions and he wishes she could see that he is not the arrogant jackass she thinks him to be.

"Quills down, please!' squeaks Professor Flitwick. "That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! _Accio!"_

Over a hundred rolls of parchment zoom into the air and into Professor Flitwick's outstretched arms, knocking him backwards off his feet. Several people laugh. A couple of students at the front desk got up, take hold of Professor Flitwick beneath the elbows and lift him back on to his feet.

"Thank you…thank you," pants Professor Flitwick. "Very well, everybody, you're free to go!"

James hastily crosses out the L.E. he had been embellishing and stuffs his exam papers messily in his bag and stands waiting for Sirius. Out of the corner of his left eye he notices Severus a short way away, moving between the tables towards the doors to the Entrance Hall, still absorbed in his own exam paper. Round-shouldered yet angular, he walks in a twitching manner that recalls a spider, and his oily hair is jumping about his face.

"_What a git_," thinks James with a smirk on his face.

A gang of chattering girls separates Severus from James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter as they walk out.

"Did you like question ten Moony?" asks Sirius as they emerge into the Entrance Hall.

"Loved it," says Remus briskly. "'_Give five signs that identify a werewolf_.'"

"Excellent question," the other two say in unison with a smile.

"Do you think you two managed to get all the signs?" says James in tones of mock concern.

"Think so," says Remus seriously. "One: there's one in my chair. Two: there's one wearing my clothes. Three: his name is Remus Lupin…"

Peter is the only one who does not laugh.

"I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes and the tufted tail," he says anxiously, "but I couldn't think what else –"

"How thick are you, Wormtail?" says James impatiently. "You run round with a werewolf once a month –"

"Keep your voice down," implores Remus.

James and his three friends work their way over to the beech tree and sit down calmly underneath it.

"Well, I thought that paper was a piece of cake," says Sirius. "I'll be surprised if I don't get 'Outstanding' on it at least."

"Me too," says James. He puts his hand in his pocket and takes out a struggling Snitch.

"Where'd you get that?" asks Sirius.

"Nicked it."

"Won't you get in trouble for that?" asks Remus.

James shrugs and he starts playing with the Snitch, allowing it to fly as much as a foot away before seizing it again; his reflexes are excellent. Peter watches him in awe. The sunlight is dazzling on the smooth surface of the lake, on the bank of which the group of laughing girls who have just left the Great Hall are sitting, with their shoes and socks off, cooling their feet in the water.

Remus pulls out a book and starts reading. Sirius stares around at the students milling over the grass, looking rather haughty and bored. James is still playing with the Snitch, letting it zoom further and further away, almost escaping but always grabbing it at the last second. Peter is watching him with his mouth open. Every time James makes a particularly difficult catch, Wormtail gasps and applauds. After certain periods of time James ruffles his hair again as if to make sure it does not get too neat and keeps looking over to where the girls are by the water's edge.

"Put it away, will you," says Sirius finally, as James makes a fine catch and Peter lets out a cheer. "Before Wormtail wets himself with excitement." Peter blushes and looks away from the pair.

"If it bothers you," he says, stuffing the Snitch back in his pocket.

"I'm bored," says Sirius. "Wish it was full moon."

"You might," said Remus darkly from behind his book. "We've still got Transfiguration, if you're so bored you could test me. Here…" and he holds out his book.

But Sirius snorts. "I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all."

"If you're so bored Paddy," says James excitedly, "Over there…" he points to a clump of bushes, "…is our favorite entertainment."

Sirius's head turns. He becomes very still, like a dog that has scented a rabbit.

"Excellent," he says softly. "_Snivellus._"

Severus is on his feet again, and is stowing the OWL paper in his bag. As he leaves the shadows of the bushes and sets off across the grass, Sirius and James stand up.

Remus remains sitting: staring down at his book, though his eyes are not moving and a faint frown line has appeared between his eyebrows.

"All right, Snivellus?" asks James loudly.

Severus reacts so fast it is as though he has been expecting an attack: dropping his bag, he plunges his hand inside his robes and his wand is halfway in the air when James shouts, _"Expelliarmus!"_

Severus' wand flies twelve feet into the air and falls with a little thud in the grass behind him. James smirks and Sirius let out a bark of laughter.

"_Impedimenta!"_ he says, pointing his wand at Severus, who is knocked off his feet halfway through a dive towards his own fallen wand.

Students all around have turned to watch. Some of them have gotten to their feet and are edging nearer. Some look apprehensive, others entertained.

Severus lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advance on him, wands raised, James glancing over his shoulder at the girls at the water's edge as he goes.

"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" says James.

"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," says Sirius viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word."

Several people watching laugh; Severus is clearly unpopular.

Sirius lets loose another laugh and James smirks again. Severus is trying to get up, but the jinx is still operating on him; he is struggling, as though bound by invisible ropes.

"You – wait," he pants, staring up at James with an expression of purest loathing, "you – wait!"

"Wait for what?" says Sirius coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"

Severus lets out a stream of mixed swear words and hexes, but with his wand ten feet away nothing happens.

"Wash out your mouth," says James coldly. "_Scourgify!"_

Pink soap bubbles stream from Severus' mouth at once; the froth is covering his lips, making him gag, and choking him.

"Leave him ALONE!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"That last Exam was dreadful," moans Lily's best friend Alice Prewitt. "I'm dreadful at D.A.D.A and I know I failed it."

"That's what you say every time you take the exam and then you end up doing better than me," smirks Lily, taking off her shoes and socks so as to dip her feet in the water. "Besides, we have Transfiguration next and that I _know_ I'm going to fail."

"Maybe you should get a tutor," suggests Lily's other friend Marlene McKinnon. She is a quiet girl who can be boisterous when just in the company of her friends but gets shy and puts up barriers when people like the marauders come around.

"Ha, the only person who knows Transfiguration better than Lily is –" begins Lily's friend Margaret Smith (**A/N: Not related to Zacharias Smith**).

"– Potter," Lily scoffs. "And there's no way I'd ever ask him to tutor me. He would never let me hear the end of it."

"Come on Lily, cut the boy some slack," says Alice. "Sure he's conceited and all but he can also be a really good guy." Lily looks doubtful. "Plus, he's crazy about you."

Lily snorts. "Yeah, right. I don't care how 'nice' you claim he is, I'm not asking him for a favour. I don't need to be in his debt." She has not told her friends about the other night in the forest.

"Sometimes Lily you are so –" begins Marlene. "Hey, what's going on up there?" There are several flashes of lights.

"Looks like a fight by the way everyone's forming a circle," observes Margaret.

"No, really?" teases Alice. When Alice is not looking, Margaret cups some water in her hands and pours it on her head.

"HEY!"

"Hey! Lily, where are you going?" asks Marlene inching away from her loud friends. Lily is now struggling in putting on her shoes and her socks since her feet are soaking wet.

"I'm a Prefect! I have to stop whomever is dueling," says Lily. "No doubt it's Potter and Black terrorizing some Slytherin."

"Isn't it always?" snorts Alice. "But anyway, I'm sure the Slytherin deserves it."

"What is it with you all and House prejudices?" cries Lily. "I swear you're getting as bad as Potter and Black."

"It's true though, Lily," points out Margaret. "All Slytherin's are vile and cruel."

"Not Severus," says Lily, tying her shoes. "He's nice…"

"…Only to you," finishes Marlene. Lily ignores her and begins marching up the hill.

"What are you planning on doing?" the girls cry up the hill.

"I'm planning to put a stop to this madness," calls back Lily. "I'll see you lot later in the common room."

She walks up and sets her eyes upon an unfolding scene. It is not a duel. It is Potter and Black ganging up on Severus _again_.

"Leave him ALONE!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James and Sirius look around. James' free hand immediately jumps to his hair.

"Hey Evans, what's up?" asks James.

"Leave him alone," Lily repeats, ignoring James' comment all together.

"Yeah we heard you first time Evans," says Sirius coolly. James glares at him.

"What's he ever done to you?" Lily questions.

"It's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean…" James finally adds after a long silence.

Many of the surrounding students laugh, Sirius and Peter included. Remus, however, does not and continues staring intently at his book.

"You think you're funny," she says coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him _alone_."

"OI!" shouts Sirius.

But it is too late. Severus has directed his wand straight at James; there is a flash of light and a gash appears on the side of his face.

James' face spatters his robes with blood. James whirls about: a second flash of light later, Severus is hanging upside-down in the air, his robe falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of graying underpants.

Many people in the now very large crowd cheer. Sirius and James roar with laughter.

Lily, whose furious expression had twitched for an instant as though she was going to smile, says, "Let him down!"

"Only if you go out with me," James challenges.

Lily stood with her hands on her hips, "I would rather date the Giant Squid. Let him down," she orders again. She cannot believe he has the _audacity_ to ask her out after everything's he has done to her and her best friend. James Potter is without a doubt the most conceited and insufferable _boy_ on the planet.

James sighs. With a flick of his wand at Severus, he falls to the ground. "Petrificus Totalus!" and Severus keels over again, at once, rigid as a board.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouts. She has her own wand out now.

James and Sirius eye it warily.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," says James earnestly.

"Take the curse off him, then!"

James sighs again, deeply, then turns to Severus and mutters the counter curse.

"There you go," he says as Severus struggles to his feet again. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus –"

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"

Lily's heart splits in two. He had been her friend! She had helped him and he responds by calling her a Mudblood? Well, if that is the way things have to be then she will just need to accept it.

Lily blinks. "Fine," she says coolly. "I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, _Snivellus_."

"Apologize to Evans!" James roars at Severus, his wand pointed threateningly at him.

"I don't want _you _to make him apologize," Lily shouts, rounding on James. "You're as bad as he is…"

"What?" yelps James. "I'd NEVER call you a – you-know-what!"

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just gotten off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down the corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you because you can – I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK." She turns on her heel and hurries away, too upset to remember to dock points from both Houses.

"Evans!" James shouts after her. "Hey, EVANS!"

But she does not look back.

"What is it with her?" says James, trying to make it look as though it is a throwaway question of no real importance.

"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited mate," says Sirius.

"Right," says James, now looking furious, "Right –" There is another flash of light, and Severus is once again hanging upside down in the air. "Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"

The whole crowd jeers except for Remus, who to James, Sirius, and Peter's surprise; closes his book and gets up. He walks over to James.

"Prongs, do you want Lily to ever go out with you?" whispers Remus so the crowd cannot hear.

"What? What'd he say?" they all ask.

James turns bright red and looks at Remus and nods.

"Well, as a friend, I suggest that you stop picking fights with Snape," says Remus. "It would prove you don't hex people for no good reason and give her one less reason to hate you."

"But –"

"Prongs," warns Remus. "Let it go."

James sighs and waves his wand to let free Severus. The crowd groans.

"Sorry, maybe next time," says James. "Can't have too much of a good thing."

Remus laughs and runs inside after Lily with every intention of apologizing to her about not helping her defend Severus.

"_I can't believe he thinks he's the King of the Castle_," thinks Lily angrily. _"He thinks the whole world will melt at his feet, especially the whole female population."_

Lily thinks these angry thoughts as she stomps through the sixth floor corridor.

"_And Severus!"_ she exclaims._ "Nothing more or less than a mean spirited person. How dare he call _anyone_ a Mudblood!"_ It tears her up that she is no longer friends with Severus, but she will not associate with people who talk to others like they are their inferiors.

"_The bloody jerk," _she thought then reprimands herself but in vain. She walks up another floor and sees Peeves sticking gum in a broom cupboard where Filch keeps his cleaning items. As much as she dislikes Filch, she starts to tell Peeves off.

"Peeves! Stop that this instant! If you don't I'll go report you to the headmaster!" Professor Dumbledore is the only one who can get Peeves' respect, along with the Bloody Baron but Lily was in no mood to talk to anyone in Slytherin right now.

Peeves, who has been placing the gum in the lock upside down, flies right side up and blows a raspberry at her.

"PEEVES!" she repeats. "STOP THAT THIS INSTANT!" He is like a floating version of Potter and Black. Yelling at Peeves is giving her an annoying sense of déjà vu.

"Oo, ickle redhead seeing red?" taunts Peeves, turning upside down again to resume putting in the gum. Merlin, can she not catch a break today?

Lily brandishes her wand and mutters, "Waddiswasi", making the gum fly up Peeves' nose.

Peeves shrieks and floats away letting out a string of vulgar slang, not fit for anyone to say or write. Lily looks after him with slight triumph but before she can start off walking again someone taps her on the shoulder.

"Hi Lily," says Remus as she turns around.

"Oh, hi," she replies coolly. She is irritated that he, being a Prefect, did nothing to stop his friends even if they had been terrorizing a prat.

"Neat trick," says Remus, making conversation as they head towards the Gryffindor Tower. "Maybe you could teach me?"

"Maybe." He sighs and turns to face her as they walk.

"Listen, Lily," he begins but she stops him.

"No, you listen," she says more forcefully than intended. "I understand Potter and Black are your friends. But that does not give you the right to just sit there passively while they bully someone. Even if that someone is a prat," she adds when he raises his eyebrows.

"I know."

"And another thing…wait, what?"

"I know I should have stopped them," agrees Remus. "I reckon that's one of the reasons Dumbledore appointed me Prefect. But I couldn't."

"Why?" He looks at her for a long moment before responding. It is almost as though he is calculating her.

"I wouldn't want to ruin our friendship," he replies simply. Lily has a feeling there is more to it but does not pry…too much.

"I know they're bullies but I doubt it would ruin your friendship," says Lily.

"You'd be surprised how many people want little to do with…well me."

"Remus, that's not…"

"Don't lie, Lily," says Remus seriously. "They're the best friends that I've ever had. I don't want to do anything to ruin that."

Lily nods. She does not know what she would do if she did not have Alice, Margaret, or Marlene. Even though they sometimes have different views on things, like the Marauders do, they still bring out the best in each other.

"How about the last Hogsmeade we get together and talk some more," suggests Lily, smiling at Remus.

"Sounds great, and you teach me the theory of that spell you used on Peeves," adds Remus. "Something tells me I'll need it one day." Lily laughs and agrees.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	2. Hogsmeade and Blow Jobs

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 2 – Hogsmeade and "Blow jobs"

"So you're telling me that on the last Hogsmeade trip of the year you're going with _Remus_ instead of us?" growls Margaret.

"Erm, what are the chances that if I say no you won't kill me?"

"Not great."

"Then what have I got to lose? Yes, I'm going with him as friends." Margaret and Marlene cross their arms.

"That's not fair," argues Marlene.

"Life's not fair." Marlene glares at her.

"Alice is going with Frank and Dorcas is going with other friends. You're just abandoning us?"

"You make it sound like I'm flying to America or something," cries Lily. "I'll meet you guys at noon, alright?"

Marlene and Margaret nod grudgingly and Lily bids them goodbye before running off to Hogsmeade.

It is a warm June day and as Lily runs to meet Remus, her hair flies in the breeze behind her, reflecting the golden sunlight. She ignores the stares she is getting from some of the guys in her year and older and keeps running. It is only when she collides with something hard does she stop.

"Watch where you're – oh, hey Evans," said James, ruffling his hair absentmindedly. She glares up at him. She realizes what he was about to say before he saw it was her. There is no need to give her "preferential" treatment.

"Hello to you too, Potter," says Lily coolly. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, you see, I was conceived approximately 18,144 days ago," begins James. "So I guess you could say I'm here because my parents had –"

"Okay, knock it off Potter, I don't have time for it," says Lily, her eyes flashing dangerously. "And next time someone asks why you're here, you don't need to tell them your whole life story."

"True, but you cut me off when I was going to add that God put me here seeing as I'm his gift to women," says James, flashing a smile. Passerby girls faint but Lily just rolls her eyes.

"Think whatever you want Potter," retort Lily. "Now I really have to go an meet Remus."

"You're meeting Remus?" asks James sharply.

"Yes. Oh, and if it counts for anything, you'll always be the equivalent of Dragon dung in my opinion." She smirks at his expression and begins jogging again so she can meet Remus in the Three Broomsticks, only stopping to speak to one boy named Michael who is in his third year. She tries to hurry the conversation up as quickly as she can but he keeps talking. She gets the idea that he almost _idolizes_ her. He is a tad socially awkward too so the conversation ends sooner rather than later.

"Hey Remus, sorry I'm late," pants Lily. "I ran into a third year and your dimwitted friend."

"Which one?" jokes Remus referring to the latter.

"I heard that Moony," says Sirius' muffled voice from a few tables over. He is sitting snogging some girl he must have picked up at the bar. He looks a little busy.

"Asked and answered," laughs Remus, pulling out a seat for Lily. "Seeing as the bane of your existence isn't Peter, I'll safely assume you ran into James."

"You safely assumed right," says Lily while ordering a butterbeer. "Merlin, he winds me up!"

"He'll be happy to hear that," teases Remus, taking a sip of his own drink.

Lily playfully slaps him on the arm and takes a sip from her newly arrived drink.

They spend the rest of the time discussing schoolwork, friends, and her teaching him the spell she had used on Peeves. It is fun to spend time with Remus. He always respects you and gives you his undivided attention. Lily knows they would only just ever be friends though. Their relationship is simply platonic for a number of reasons that she does not care to get into now.

"Thanks Lily. Maybe I'll try it out on James tonight just for you," he says grinning. Lily grins and takes a swig of butterbeer. "Lily, why do you hate James so much?"

Lily starts laughing hysterically. She laughs for a good ten minutes while a patient Remus smiles and waits for her to finish. Once she was done and sees him still waiting she says, "Wait, you were serious?"

"No, I'm Sirius," says Sirius loudly. The whole restaurant boos, most having heard this joke too many times to count.

"Anyway…I don't _hate_ James," says Lily uncomfortably. "He just really annoys me for a number of reasons that I don't care to list."

Remus nods. "He is a bit irritating at times. Especially when he doesn't listen to you when you're trying to tell him something."

"Exactly. I have lost track on how many times I have told him to stop hexing Severus. That, and he always asks me out making me even angrier. He just brings out the worst in me."

"Come on Evans, I know you secretly _love_ being asked out by the handsomest guy around," a husky voice says from behind her. "Who else would bother to pay that much attention to you? And there's more to you than just _that_ part?"

She whips around and looks up, glaring at a cocky James Potter.

"Sod off Potter," she growls. "As a matter of fact, yes, there is another side to me and you know as well as I do that the only reason no other guy will ask me out is because they are afraid of you."

"And rightfully so. If I can't have you, nobody can."

Lily's eyes flash dangerously and Remus gulps. The restaurant and bar gets suddenly silent, interested in watching the back-and-forth between Lily and James.

"Is that so?"

"Of course. Even if someone _did_ want to go out with you though, they would have to realize that they won't be able to do anything with you seeing as you have a big metal pole there."

The whole bar oohs, particularly the men and their dates smack them. Lily narrows her eyes.

"Why don't you go bother somebody else Potter? Is it really that hard to see that not everyone melts at your feet?" Several people wolf-whistle and clap. "Come on Remus, let's go somewhere with that better view."

"Yeah, she's right Moony, you'd better leave now," retorts James. "Didn't you read the sign? No _dogs_ allowed."

The whole place gasps as does Remus. James has crossed the line now. In fact, he might as well have dug his own hole and jumped into it.

In a flash, Lily is up and her wand is pointing threateningly at him, as is his at her.

"You wouldn't _dare_," sneers Lily. "Plus, I'm doing you a favor by damaging you."

"Oh, yeah? How's that?" asked James.

"If you fall down and get hurt one day you can blame it on your inability to see past your nose."

He looks at her like she is crazy as she waves her wand and silently casts a curse on him. To everyone's horror, James' head begins swelling up to the size of a Muggle hot air balloon. Lily was right in that he will not be able to see the ground due to his now abnormally large nose.

"I've always said your head is full of hot air," says Lily laughing derisively. "And now it fits your ego too!"

She grabs a shocked Remus and leads him out of the bar to meet her friend's at Zonko's Joke Shop. Potter has Black to depend on now if he wants his head back to normal.

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"So you seriously inflated his head?" asks Alice, her mouth agape. Lily nods. "Well, this time he deserved it. He had no right calling you an dog. That spot's reserved for Sirius."

Remus snorts.

"What's so funny?" demands Margaret. She looks at Remus and blushes when he grins at her.

"Oh, nothing," says Remus nonchalantly.

"Okay…" hesitates Lily. "Do you lot want to head back?"

"Sure," they all say.

"I have to still finish packing my bag anyway," says Marlene casually. Remus laughs.

"The guys and I haven't even started packing yet."

Margaret looks at him incredulously. "It's the night before we leave an you haven't _started _packing yet?" Remus shakes his head. "Are you bloody mental?"

Remus chuckles. "Perhaps. We made an agreement that every year we pack the morning of departure and anything that gets left behind belongs to whomever reaches it first the following year."

"He is mental," agrees Lily, and they all laugh.

"You'll never believe what Peter left behind one year though," laughs Remus.

"What?" asks the girls curiously.

"He left behind a pair of underpants," snorts Remus.

"And why are you telling us this?" asks Alice, crinkling her nose.

"Because Sirius noticed it on the first day back and thought at first glance, since it was under his bed, it was an chocolate ice cream stain."

"Oh my god!" cries the girls, attracting many strange looks.

"Don't tell me he –" begins Lily.

Remus nods. "He licked it. Mind you, these underpants were brown, and when Peter had brought them at the beginning of the previous year, they were white –"

"EW!" shrieks the girls.

"Yeah…Sirius has been deathly afraid of chocolate ice cream ever since. He now runs away screaming in a high-pitched girly voice."

"Hey guys, what's up?" asks Peter walking up to them.

The five take one look at him and crack up laughing, promising to themselves as they make their way back to Hogwarts to threaten Sirius with some chocolate ice cream that night.

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"Hey Evans, I finally got your "blow" job removed," smirks James. Sirius lets out a bark of laughter but Remus groans and slaps his forehead. Sometimes James does not know when to shut up.

"Potter, there are so many things wrong with you, I don't even know where to begin," sighs Lily. "In fact, I think I might just have to get Peeves to make a song about it."

James' eyes widen considerably.

"No! Don't do that, he'll never stop then!" cries James.

Lily smiles wickedly and runs to find the Poltergeist.

"In her defense, that was pretty perverted," says Marlene quietly. James shrugs.

"I'm an extremely perverted person. Always have been, always will be."

"Not if he ever wants Lily to date him," Remus mutters to Sirius.

Almost as quickly as she left, Lily returns with Peeves. To James' horror she seems to have amplified his voice for him. He has a wicked grin on his face.

Lily slides into her seat grinning and waits patiently for chaos to ensue. Thankfully, no one at the Head table saw her come in with the Poltergeist.

"Peeves! You can't be in here!" shouts Professor McGonagall. "The last time you came you wrecked havoc!"

"I know, Mcgonny wonny," booms Peeves. "I'm only here for a momento. I'll be gono in a secy."

The Great Hall goes silent and Peeves takes a deep breath before rapping:

"_Oh Potter you rotter, it's brains that you lack, bent over Sirius Black in the Shrieking Shack. Potter's head is so big, it produces shig, all over my fuckin' brand new dig. Word and respect," _finishes Peeves.

The whole hall bursts into applause and laughter and Professor McGonagall looks livid. Lily shoots Peeves a discreet thumbs up and grins as James and Sirius attempt to hide behind Remus and Peter. It is nice that for a change they are not gloating in the limelight and are instead embarrassed.

"Who is responsible for this?" yells Professor McGonagall over the laughter. Everyone goes quiet in fear of getting blamed for the rap.

"Oh, my dear professor, you must admit that while it was extremely inappropriate it was a rather admirable rap," says Professor Dumbledore amused. Lily can see his eyes twinkling full bore and prevents herself from breaking down right then and there.

"It was vulgar and disgusting," says Professor McGonagall coldly. "This is why we don't have him attend the meals regularly. Or ever for that matter. Now, who asked him to make the rap about Mr. Potter and Mr. Black?"

"It was Evans, Professor!" calls out James. He smiles wickedly at her and she smiles sweetly back.

"Is this true, Miss Evans?"

Lily does not think Professor McGonagall will be able to stand a Prefect getting in detention. So really, even though she does not like to lie, it is for the elder woman's sake…

"No Professor," replies Lily. "I did not make that rap. I have been in the Great Hall eating dinner and I have several alibis here to prove it. In fact, it was Potter himself who did it."

"But why in Merlin's name would he order Peeves to do a rap like that about himself and Sirius?" asks a burly sixth year Ravenclaw boy.

"Yes, as misguided as Potter may be, I seriously (don't you _dare_ say a word, Mr. Black!) doubt he would make up such a horrid rap about himself and his friend," says Professor McGonagall.

Lily says, "Well, if I was thinking in the shoes of a conceited (**"Hey!"**) fifteen-year-old boy like Potter; which trust me, would be scary, I'd imagine he was doing it for more publicity. Merlin knows his head was more appropriate when it was blown up today. If you need evidence that isn't my word, however, you can always ask Peeves."

Professor McGonagall nods and calls Peeves back in.

"Yes Minnie?" cackles Peeves, his voice back to normal.

"Firstly, do _not_ call me that," says Professor McGonagall dangerously. "Merlin alive, you are like a floating image of Potter and Black." Lily swears she heard Dumbledore snort into his treacle tart and hastily covers it up as a cough.

"Anyway," continues Professor McGonagall. "Who asked you to perform that – _rap_ – for the whole student body?"

"Potty wee Potter," replies Peeves. "He claimed he wanted me to do it to get more attention and that I typically got plenty attention just by entering the room."

"And you are telling me the truth?"

"Yes, ma'am. This time Peevsie is telling you the truth."

"What do you mean_ this _time?"

"Oh – erm, nothing! Bye your deputy Headship!" says Peeves. With that he zooms out of the hall much to James' dismay.

"Mr. Potter, you shall be serving detention with me –"

"When? It's the last day of school and the House cup has already been awarded," smirks James.

"Very well. After dinner you may help the kitchen staff clean up the dinner plates and cutlery," says Professor McGonagall. "_Without_ any magic."

James gasps and Lily and the Slytherin table laugh at his misfortune. Steadily the hall returns to its loud self, talking about James' horrible punishment and the rap.

"How did you get Peeves to do that and lie?" asks Alice impressed.

Lily shrugs. "Easy. I transfigured him a lifelong supply of chewing gum. He's probably sticking it in all of the locks as we speak."

Everyone laughs and then James asks, "But how is it, that someone who has never pulled a prank before can possibly evade trouble better than the marauders?"

"I guess it's just a gift," smirks Lily, high fiving her friends under the table.

"Hmm…you should join us Evans. We could use more than just Moony's brains." Remus rolls his eyes.

"Sorry, I work alone," says Lily. Everyone laughs. "Oh, Black, before I forget –"

She picks up some chocolate ice cream.

"- would you like some chocolate ice cream?"

Sirius jumps up. "AAAAARGGGH! HELP MEEEE!" he screams in a high-pitched girly voice. He runs all the way up to the Head table and jumps into Dumbledore's lap.

"Why, hello Mr. Black," says Professor Dumbledore serenely, looking down at him in surprise. "Although I do consider us friends, I think our relationship to be more platonic. Am I right?"

The whole hall laughs, especially Lily and her friends and James and his friends.

"I couldn't agree more, sir," says Sirius grinning. "Although, you do have a rather comfy lap." Even Professor McGonagall is having a difficult time keeping a straight face.

"Wonder if Professor McGonagall's jealous," whispers James to Lily.

"Stranger things have happened." It sure is going to be a quiet summer compared to this.

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Lily and her friends can be found in their dormitory after dinner finishing packing up. Well, Lily is not packing. She has only left the clothes she is wearing tomorrow, her dressing gown; which she was wearing now, and her toiletries out. However, all of her friends, including their other roommate Dorcas, are still packing most of their stuff that they have procrastinated in doing until the last minute.

"How do you guys stand this every year?" asks Lily, skimming through a Muggle magazine. She is filling out one of those silly questionnaire's that answers what type of guy you will end up with. Petunia had given it to her four years ago, still in denial that she could be normal, and she has just decided to finally peruse through it.

"It's easy," says Margaret. "We procrastinate until the last minute and disregard all of your warnings. It's gotten easier as the years have progressed."

The other three girls snicker and Lily just rolls her eyes. She calculates her score and finds out what type of guy she will end up with.

"Apparently I'm going to end up with someone muscular, athletic, and clever," says Lily reading aloud her results. "I wonder who that'll be?"

"Lily, for someone so smart you're so thick," cries Alice laughing. The other girls are cracking up too.

"Doesn't that just cancel itself out?" asks Lily.

"Possibly," says all four girls in unison and begin to laugh harder.

"What's so funny?" asks Lily irritably.

"Oh, Lily isn't it obvious? You're going to end up with James!" cries Marlene. Lily gives her a look.

"We've been through this a million and one times guys! I am not and never will be interested in Potter!"

"But _why?_ He's so attractive!" cries Dorcas lifting her head up from her trunk. She is a small girl with mousy brown hair and a rather large pair of red glasses. Her and Lily's group have always gotten on well, which is good considering they have to live in the same room.

"Not really," says Lily honestly. "But whenever someone does something I don't like they become ugly in my mind. And if you think he's so attractive why don't you go out with him?"

Dorcas turns bright red and stammers.

"I – I like somebody else," she falters, and the girls' eyes light up.

"Ohh! Who? Who?" asks Alice excitedly.

Dorcas turns a deep maroon now and Lily's interest peaks. It must be someone interesting if Dorcas is this embarrassed. Or perhaps she is afraid that one of them already liked this person. The latter is more likely.

"Remus Lupin," she whispers. Alice and Marlene's eyes light up immediately but Lily bites her lip and looks over at Margaret.

Margaret had told Lily at the beginning of the year that she has had strong feelings for Remus since the beginning of their third year. Margaret is incredibly self-conscious, however, and instead of acting upon her infatuation, has tried dating other guys. All have ended in disaster though, leaving her more fragile than before.

Right now while Alice, Marlene, and Dorcas are discussing how cute Remus is as well as his sweetness, Margaret seems to have detached herself. Lily catches her eye though and gives her a reassuring smile. It is only a matter of time before Remus sees Margaret as more than a friend. They have gotten on fairly good terms this year and Lily is almost _positive_ that he would choose her over Dorcas. Not to say that Dorcas is not pretty and nice too but there is just something about Margaret that was unique and special.

All of a sudden there is a frantic knock on the door followed by some more banging.

"Come in!" Lily shouts over the noise. The three excited girls fall silent.

The door opens and in the doorway stands a frantic Mary MacDonald. She has just recovered from what had happened the other day with the Slytherins.

"Lily, you've got to come! He's saying he'll sleep outside the Fat Lady if he has –" begins Mary clearly flustered.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down Mary," says Lily. "Who's saying they'll sleep outside the Fat Lady?"

Mary takes a deep breath. "Severus Snape."

Lily's roommates gasp but Lily expected something like this. She just closes her eyes patiently and says:

"Lead me to him, please."

She closes the door behind her and Mary and walks down to the common room to find it crowded. Apparently other people have passed Severus on there way in and are panicking.

"Lily! He's say's he going to –"

" – Sleep out there!"

"Are you going to –"

" - Stop him from doing it?"

"Calm down, everyone!" orders Lily, and the common room falls silent. "All of you, go up to your dormitories and I will take care of my own business. Thank you."

Everyone runs upstairs to avoid the approaching scene. Lily opens the door and sees Severus out there.

"What are you doing out here?" asks Lily coolly.

Severus takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not interested."

"I'm sorry!"

"Save your breath." She crosses her arms and looks bitterly at him.

"I only came out because Mary told me you were threatening to sleep here."

"I was. I would have done. I never meant to call you a Mudblood, it just –"

"Slipped out?" There is no pity in Lily's voice. "It's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends – you see, you don't even deny it! You don't even deny that's what you're aiming to be! You can't wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?" He opens his mouth, but closes it without speaking. "I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way, I've chosen mine."

"No – listen, I didn't mean –"

"- to call me a Mudblood? But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Severus. Why should I be any different?"

He struggles on the verge of speech, but with a contemptuous look she turns and climbs back through the portrait hole. As she walks up the girls' staircase, she wipes her eyes that are now puffy, red, and irritated. She opens the door and sees her friends are exactly as she left them.

"Lily, what happened?" Margaret asks anxiously. Lily shakes her head and sits down.

"Are you okay, Lily?" asks Alice concerned. She sits down next to her. "Did Snape do something to you?"

"I – I finalized the end of my – our friendship," chokes out Lily. Fresh tears pour from her eyes and onto the carpeted floor.

"Lily, it's okay, you're better off without him," consoles Marlene. Margaret, Dorcas, and Alice nod vigorously.

"You don't understand," says Lily, wiping her eyes again. "He was my only friend back home. The only one who made it worth coming home for the summer. Someone who knew the truth about what I am. We were all each other had."

"He needs you more than you need him, Lily," says Margaret quietly.

"I'm tired, I think I'm going to go to bed," says Lily, not wanting to talk about it. The others nod and get off of her bed. "I'll talk to you guys in the morning."

She draws her curtains but does not fall asleep. Instead she listens to the voices of her concerned friends on the other side. She cannot hear what they are saying exactly but she knows that it is about her and her recent non-friendship with Severus.

Fresh tears come to the surface when she thinks about this and she tries in vain to keep them at bay. Eventually she settles for letting them fall and she silently cries until there are no more left. She listens to the soothing sound of Margaret's easy breathing and soon thereafter falls into an uneasy sleep full of dreams of Severus calling her a Mudblood and Potter hexing him into oblivion.

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A/N: Not much longer than originally but I clearly changed a chunk of it, especially Lily's nastiness. Anyway, please review!


	3. Wedding Crashers

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 3 – Wedding Crashers

When Lily wakes up the next day she is not in the best of spirits. At first she cannot remember why she is so unhappy but then yesterday's events come crashing back.

So that is why after Lily and her friends eat a hasty breakfast, they jump onto the train and park their stuff right next to the Prefect's compartment. In other words, as far away from marauders and Severus.

"Ugh, Lily," moans Margaret. "Why do we always have to sit right next to the Prefects? We sit here so much we might as well dub this The Lily Evans Compartment." Lily grins for the first time that morning.

"See, I have a theory that actually happens to be true. Potter and his circ de loon are probably the biggest pranksters Hogwarts has seen thus far, right?"

"I'd like to hope so considering they've gotten in more trouble than all the years combined," smirks Marlene.

"Well, being the marauders that they are, I know for a fact that they would like to sit as far from the Prefects as they can. That's in the very back and this way, we're no where near them."

"For someone who hates James Potter, you seem to put a lot of thought into avoiding him," teases Alice. Lily blushes furiously but Margaret intervenes thankfully.

"Speaking of Prefects, Lily," she says. "Don't you have an end of the year meeting?"

Lily gasps. How could she have forgotten? "Oh, no! I'll be back in a little while guys." She zooms out of the compartment and next door. The only occupant, however, is Remus.

"Hey Lily," he greeted.

"Hey Remus," she says, sitting down across from him. "Looking forward to going to Potter's house?"

Remus replies, "Yes. It's great there, Mr. and Mrs. Potter are so nice."

"Hmm, I wonder where James gets his cockiness from then," ponders Lily.

Remus smirks. "Actually, James is a lot like his father. They both can be characters and if James turns out to be like him when he's older, he'll definitely mellow with age."

Lily laughs as the other Prefects came in. She briefly catches Severus' eye and after a moment looks away again. It is going to be different this summer.

The Prefects stay for a bit and listen to the Head Boy and Girl thanking them for a "great year" and then listen as they give out instructions for patrolling. Thankfully, Lily is paired with Remus and not with Severus like she usually is.

"Can we _not_ patrol by your compartment?" begs Lily. "I'm not in the mood to see Potter right now."

"James really isn't a bad guy, Lily," implores Remus. "He just doesn't think before and acts and has the proclivity to – act like a prat around you. The guy can't help it."

Lily snorts. "Tell me something I don't know."

They quickly turn around once they reach the general area of the marauders compartment.

"The ironic thing is that that's the area we'd most likely have to patrol," says Remus trying to lighten the mood. It works and Lily laughs.

"So, did I tell you about the upcoming wedding?"

Remus looks at her nonplussed.

"You're getting married?" he jokes, and Lily rolls her eyes.

"Yeah right. No, not yet," she teases. "Petunia is though."

Remus' eyes nearly bulge out of his head.

"_What?_ Who would marry her?"

"Vernon Dursley," she says, making a face, and Remus snorts.

"Lovely name." Lily grins and then her entire face lights up, an idea coming to her. "What?" he asks her.

"Would you like to come?" she asks. "I could use all the moral support I can get." She has an ulterior motive for this though.

Remus looks surprised at the invitation but replies almost immediately.

"I'd love to. Will your parents be okay with it though?"

"I'm sure they will. I'll ask them on the way home and then send you an owl."

For the rest of their patrol they walk back and forth talking about the wedding and Lily telling him the ridiculous things her mum has said Petunia is doing. They talk for a good fifteen minutes until they realize their shift is over.

"Come on, it's time to tell Snape and Avery that it their turn to patrol."

Lily grimaces but follows Remus back to the Prefect's compartment.

"It's your turn to patrol," says Remus to Severus and Avery.

The two glower at him but when Severus sees Lily is there, he directs his stare at her. Avery turns to see what his friend is staring at and smirks.

"Miss your little Mudblood friend, Snape?" he asks mockingly.

Remus reaches for his wand but Lily stops him.

"Don't bother," she says. "They're not worth it."

Avery smirks. "Do you hear that, Severus? The Mudblood thinks we're not worth her time! Isn't irony amusing?"

"Stop it, Avery," says Severus quietly. "Let's just go patrol." Avery ignores him though.

"Where do you get all those scars from, Lupin? I don't buy that you go home every month to visit your mother. You hiding something?"

Remus glares at him but his face looks considerably paler.

"Sod off Avery," he growls (no pun intended). "Don't you have to go and stick your head up Voldemort's arse? I hear you once went so far that you came out of his mouth."

Lily laughs and Avery glares furiously at Remus.

"You still didn't answer the question though," continues Avery, regaining his composure.

"I didn't realize Remus' business was of your concern," says Lily coolly.

Avery's head snaps toward Lily. She does not flinch or back up though, but she continues to glare defiantly at him. She only falters when he begins looking her up. That pig.

"How dare you speak to me, you filthy little Mudblood!"

Remus looks livid and is about to act when Lily holds him back. She whispers something in his ear and he smirks.

Her head held high, she approaches Erebus Avery with a smirk on her face. He actually looks a little nervous, especially since he cannot hit a girl. Those rules do not apply for her though.

Not bothering to hex him, her arm swings up in a flash and slaps him across the face. He falls on the ground yelling in pain. Severus looks abashed and backs away quickly from Lily being the only other person she might be willing to hit in the compartment.

Lily gives them both one last contemptuous look and turns on her heel to head back to her compartment with Remus on her tail.

She walks in and her friends look up automatically.

"Hey Lily and Remus, what's –" begins Alice. "What's wrong?"

Remus looks at Lily and notices she is now crying. He wraps his arm around her and sits down.

"Oh Lily, don't cry," whispers Remus. "They're just arrogant assholes."

"W – Why on earth sh-should I _not_ cry?" she gasps. She is about to continue but her tears render her speechless. She cannot say anything else.

The door opens and James stands there looking confused.

"There you are Moony," he says not noticing Lily's sobs.

"Get out of here, Potter!" Lily snaps, reverting back to her defensive self. She does not want the likes of James Potter witnessing her at a weak moment.

James turns to look at her and looks taken aback by the tears in her eyes. Clearly he did not expected her to be so upset or even capable of being so.

"Evans! What's wrong?" he asks, genuinely sounding concerned. Lily disregards this though.

"Leave Potter, I don't need you here to pour salt in my wounds."

James looks hurt by her assumption and comes to sit down anyway.

"Please Lily, don't cry," begs Margaret. "I hate seeing you upset." The others nod in agreement.

"C-can I have s-some new advice?" They all laugh weakly.

"Evans, what's wrong?" James reiterates.

Before she can respond to him or tell him to get out again, Sirius and Peter appear in the doorway.

"What's everyone doing in –" begins Peter, and then his gaze and Sirius' falls on Lily. They both cry, "Evans! What's wrong? Don't cry!"

Lily gives a shaky laugh. "Yeah, I think we're all on the same p-page!"

The whole room guffaws except for Sirius and Peter who look puzzled. They get over it though and sit down across from Lily.

"Lily, what happened?" they ask. Lily wipes her eyes before replying.

"We were patrolling the corridors when we were going back to tell Severus and Avery that it was their turn," she explains. "Then –" Words fail her.

Remus sighs. "Long story short, Avery called her a 'filthy little Mudblood'." Alice, Marlene, and Margaret gasp and Sirius, Peter, and James growl.

"I'm _so_ going to kill him," growls James. Lily looks up alarmed.

"No, Potter, please don't!" says Lily in anguish. The whole room is shocked. "What?"

"Why are you protecting that bastard?" he asks outraged, and the others look confused as well.

"I don't want anyone to get themselves in trouble because I got a little bent out of shape for being called that – that word. Just leave him be!"

James ignores her though and stands up abruptly.

"Where are you going?" asks Sirius confused.

"I have some business to attend to" was all he says. With that, he walks out of the compartment.

"Oh dear," sighs Lily. "This isn't going to be pretty is it?"

The other shrug, but not before hearing a crack and seeing a flash of light come from the Prefects carriage.

"What was that?" asks Alice scared.

They all run out of their compartment to see Severus crouching down below a slug form of what must have been Avery. They also see a white-faced James, his wand still pointing unwavering at Avery.

"Potter! What have you done to him?" shrieks Lily.

James turns to face them all. "May you feast your eyes upon exhibit A. This is the result when someone calls Miss Lily Evans that vulgar name. Plus, his mother will probably like him better this way."

"My slapping his face was efficient enough," says Lily annoyed.

"Apparently not considering you got that upset -," replies James, and Lily scowls. He is interrupted by a growl from behind him. It is Severus.

"Turn him right Potter," he snarls. "Or I'll report you to the Head Boy."

James smirks. "That's it? Ooh, _scary!_ The big bad Head Boy will get me! Listen here, Snivellus, I don't give a damn about who knows Avery's fate. For all its worth, go tell the Head Boy. He'd be on my side over yours!"

Severus glares at him and says nothing because he knows James is right. However, he does not leave either and instead takes out his wand.

"You're such an arrogant swine, Potter," he sneers, his wand trained on him. "Maybe one day you'll look at yourself in the mirror and realize that you're not all you think you are. That is, of course, unless the mirror cracks first from your ugly, son-of-a-bitch face."

The girls gasp and the boys all brandish their wands, except for Peter, who hides behind Alice and Marlene.

James points his wand threateningly at Severus' face.

"Give me a reason," he snarls. "Give me a reason and I swear I'll do it."

Severus seems to be weighing his chances of escape. They do not look too good considering how many he is up against.

"No Evans to save you now, Snivellus," says James. "No one to protect you now. Isn't that right, Evans?"

Lily says nothing. She does not want anyone to get hurt because of her but she also does not want to get involved. Severus has proved how little he valued their friendship. She is not going to help him get out of these situations anymore.

James turns back to face Severus who seems to realize that Lily is done. James, however, lowers his wand.

"Get out of here," he spits. With one last glare of utter loathing, Severus picks up a slimy Avery and stalks out of the compartment.

"Lucky no one else was here to see that," whispers Marlene. James turns and looks at her.

"Didn't you hear me? I wouldn't have cared if the Headmaster had been here watching," says James, the colour slowly returning to his face. "Come on, the trains slowing down. We must be back in London."

The eight went and began to drag their trunks and animals off of the train to put them into carriages like they had done for so many years. Two at a time, they casually lean against the platform and seep their way back into the Muggle community at Kings Cross.

"Mum! Dad!" cries Lily, running over to her parents.

"Tiger!" exclaims her dad, John Evans, lifting her up since she is still that light. Her mother hugs her happily too and allows her husband to put Lily down.

"I missed you guys," whispers Lily, not paying attention to anyone else in the station.

"We've missed you too, honey," says her mum, Rose Evans. "How was your year? You only have two more left, correct?"

Lily nods. "It was great! Being a Prefect is terrific!" She suddenly looks around and next to her parents. "Tuney wouldn't come again?"

Her mother nods her head sadly and her father suddenly looks angry.

"Her exact words?" asks Lily gently.

"'_Why would I want to go near a place with a bunch of freaks? They're all freaky and plus, I have to prepare for the wedding!'"_ recites John. His face is now flushed with anger.

Lily sighs and rolls her eyes just as her friends walk over.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Evans," says Margaret. She is the only one of Lily's friends whom has met the Evans' before. In fact, Petunia was so shocked that someone so "normal" was a friend of her sister that she dubbed Margaret "all right."

"Hello Margaret," says Rose, smiling at the blonde girl. She looks then at her daughter's other friends. "Oh, let me guess now! You must be Alice and you must be Marlene!"

Both girls giggle and Lily shakes her head in amusement.

"It's the other way around mum!"

"Oh, well you must forgive me, girls. It has been a while since I was as young and clever as this one here." She looks pointedly at Lily, who sticks her tongue out playfully, and her friends laugh.

"We'll meet you by the car dear," John says, taking her carriage. Lily nods and turns to her friends as her parents walk away.

"I meant to ask you guys earlier, can any of you come to Petunia's wedding?" Lily asks them hopefully.

"I wish," sighs Alice. "My parents applied me for an internship at the Ministry all summer so I won't be able to leave."

"And you know my mum," Marlene says with a grimace, and Lily sighs. Mrs. McKinnon – or whatever she is these days – is one of the most self-centered, self righteous, Pureblood extremists that one can meet. She pays little interest in what her daughter wanted and she always comes first under any circumstances. The attention she _does_ pay to her daughter is always negative too.

"Margaret?"

"Sure!" she says cheerfully, and Lily beams. "I'm free all summer, when would you like me to come?"

"I'll ask my parents, I'm sure in the next week though since the wedding is at on June 30th, twenty days away. I'll send an owl reminding you of my address." A passerby whom had heard the term "send you an owl" shakes his head as if to unjumble his thoughts and keeps walking.

"Anyway, I'll see you on the 30th and I'll write to the rest of you," says Lily, hugging her friends. "Bye!" she says, waving to them as she walks out of Kings Cross to find her parents' car.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The street leading off of Spinners End is typically quiet, peaceful, and relaxed. Each house has at least one or two kids but they are all well behaved for the most part. That is why on June 29th it is a surprise to hear a loud shriek emit from the Evans' house.

"WHAT?" shrieks Petunia Evans.

You can hear her no matter what part of the house you were in. Whether it was the attic, Lily's room, or perhaps the worst; the kitchen.

"Looks like my mum told her about –" begins Lily but then stops short. She was in her room gossiping with Margaret. She had arrived about six days ago today and the two have been trying to stay out of Petunia's hair. It has proved challenging. First, it was how the wedding table clothes were all wrong. As Petunia pointed out, the frill is supposed to be at the bottom, not the whole cloth itself. Then it was the bridesmaids' dresses. Petunia had originally wanted to go with pink but had to settle for gold since Lily had red hair and pink would clash horribly with it. This annoyed her off the most and had led to an all out row between Petunia and their parents. And now, it was the fact that Remus was coming to the wedding but Margaret still does not know this. In Petunia's mind, he is now going to be a wedding crasher of the century and now the whole wedding is ruined.

"Petunia, calm down!" shouted Rose Evans. "Everything will be fine!"

"How could _she_ invite him to _my_ wedding?" screams Petunia.

Margaret looks at her confused but Lily pretends like she does not see her. Instead she listens to the argument coming from downstairs.

"You're fine with Margaret being here and she's like him too."

"Yes, but Margaret's _normal!"_ cries Petunia. "I still don't understand why she's friends with –"

"PETUNIA SARA EVANS!" shrieks Rose. "HOLD YOUR TONGUE AND DON'T YOU _DARE_ FINISH THAT SENTENCE!"

"I'm just saying that –" begins Petunia.

"SILENCE!" roars John Evans. (**A/N: Remember geometry class Carly? XD**)

"The good thing about your parents yelling so loud is that you don't even have to try hard to listen," jokes Margaret, and Lily smiles weakly.

"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS CRAP! NO FRILLS, PINK DRESSES, WIZARDS, GOLD…_ENOUGH!_ MAYBE IT'S JUST MY INNER MALE SPEAKING BUT THIS IS GETTING RIDICULOUS! PETUNIA SARA EVANS, I SWEAR TO MERLIN, YOU HAD BETTER GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER OR I WILL _NOT_ HESITATE IN PUTTING AN END TO THIS WEDDING!"

The whole house is deadly silent. Lily has never heard her dad so livid before and is shaking in fear. Margaret hugs her tightly.

There is no more argument but only footsteps to be heard going up and down the hallway. If Lily was only able to use magic she would have locked her door for what happened next.

Petunia opens the door and sticks her tear-streaked, red-face in. She hisses, "Lily Marie Evans, I swear to Merlin, you are the biggest _freak_ I've ever met!" She slams the door and leaves Lily and Margaret shocked. Before she can stop, Lily succumbs to tears and Margaret immediately begins to comfort her. This so far is one hell of a summer.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

This is sure one hell of a summer for James Potter but not in a bad way like it has been so far for a certain redhead he knows. It all started on June 23rd at around midnight. The doorbell rang and James, being the lightest sleeper, stumbles out of bed and down the stairs. He, however, misses one of the steps and somersaults the rest of the way down, landing painfully on his backside.

"Who the hell is calling at twelve in the morning?" he mutters. He opens the door and is face-to-face with a soaked-to-the-core Sirius Black. He immediately comes out of his trance and helps his friend bring his trunk and broomstick in.

"C-Can I stay here?" he asks, averting his eyes from James.

"Of course," James replies. Sirius is like a brother to him. In fact, they pretty much are brothers since they were both the purest of Purebloods. Not that that matters to either of them. James had known from the expression on his best mate's face that he was serious (no pun intended) on staying here. He also knows that Sirius cannot go back to his rotten family where there are blood obsessed parents, a psychotic house-elf from hell, and a Death Eater wannabe for a younger brother. James is glad Sirius decided to come to his house. It was either that or changing just so he would not be miserable and start to be horrible to his friends or it becoming a homicidal maniac and murdering the lot of them in their sleep. James prefers the actual situation best.

Charlus and Dorea Potter took Sirius in with open arms. They already had six children, previously seven but Voldemort killed their eldest, but they had always wanted to take him to stay since the first time they met him. They knew then that he is nothing like his parents whom they whole-heartedly do not approve of. The only reason they know the Black's is because, being Purebloods, they all traveled within the same inner circle and with James' dad being the Minister, it is hard to avoid them.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Hey Lily?" Margaret says as they are wandering the street.

"Mhm?"

"Who did you invite that Petunia freaked out about? You forgot to tell me the other day."

Lily had not forgotten at all. In fact, she was banking on the hope that Margaret, herself, had forgotten. She wants it to be a surprise but there is really no way in avoiding it now.

"I invited Remus."

Margaret spits out the cherry soda she had been sipping.

"Pardon? I could have sworn I heard you say that you invited Remus. As in Remus _Lupin_."

"You heard right," grins Lily, and Margaret stares at her in horror.

"Lily!"

"What? This is the perfect opportunity for you guys to connect!" Margaret's eyes narrow into slits.

"So that's why you invited him? So you could set us up?" Lily shifts uneasily and Margaret groaned.

"What's the problem?" Lily asks confused. Margaret sighs and runs her fingers through her hair.

"I'm not ready Lily," she says nervously. "What if I say something stupid or – look ugly that day or…"

"Margaret Jane Smith, you will not say something stupid and you are certainly not ugly. It's just not possible." Margaret snorts.

"Clearly you're blind in the morning when I get out of bed."

"In any event, things will go _perfectly_ at the wedding and you want to know why? Because you're my best friend and I know you can do anything that you set your mind to!"

Margaret smiles at her best friend and silently agrees that things will go perfectly. However, she is not referring to how things will go with Remus. No, she is concocting a plan that will for sure work. All she has to do is get permission from the Evans'…

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James wakes up one sunny morning and opens his eyes blearily. He nearly has a heart attack when he realizes his owl is on top of him.

"Owl! Get off of me!" he cries. Yes, he named his owl, _Owl_ but in his defense he was two.

Getting out of bed, he strides over to where the owl is now residing and takes the letter off of its talon. When he unfolds it and reads its contents he nearly drops it out the window.

_Dear James,_

_How's your summer going? As you may or may not know, Lily's sister Petunia is getting married this summer…_

James' eyebrows shoot up at this. From all he has heard of Petunia, he seriously questions the sanity of the bloke marrying her.

…_I would like to invite you and Sirius to attend this wedding on the thirtieth of June at two o'clock sharp. Come at noon._

_Hope you are well,_

_Margaret_

_P.S. Lily has already invited Remus so you can tag along as guests._

_P.P.S. Lily does not know about this so don't tell her!_

_P.P.P.S. Sorry, last one! I attached Lily's address on a separate sheet of parchment._

James looks for the parchment but cannot find it anywhere. He concludes that it must have gotten lost in his bird's trip and is about to write a letter back to Margaret asking for it when he realizes that Remus probably has it.

"Morning," greets a groggy Sirius. "Ready to go down for breakfast?"

"Yeah, in a second," James says absentmindedly. He looks down at the letter again.

"What's that?"

"An invitation to Petunia Evans' wedding for the both of us."

Sirius arches an eyebrow. "_Evans_ invited _us_ to her house?"

James shakes his head. "No, Margaret did. Remus had already been invited and Lily does not know about our invite."

Sirius grins devilishly. "Oh, then we must go." James nods in agreement and Sirius begins to whimper. "Come on mate, let's go eat! I'm hungry!"

"You're always hungry." He follows Sirius, however, and the two of them follow the smell of eggs and bacon.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Mr. and Mrs. Potter wisely stay out of the boys' way during their time before the wedding. They run around the Manor and their property like a herd of rhinoceros', they set of pranks on James' siblings – particularly his younger sister – like there is no tomorrow, they ate the amount of food the whole Great Hall could eat, and they ordered Zonko Products by the dozen. But throughout it all James is incredibly distracted by the prospect of seeing Lily this summer. He has always hoped that this kind of thing would happen. However, he is also worried about how she would react to two extra people there and to add to that…two people she wished would jump in the lake with the squid.

"Prongs mate, calm down," says Sirius on the 29th. Remus is coming today and the three are going to go shopping for tuxes ("You never know when you'll need one," points out James). They had filled Remus in on the new plan and although he seemed hesitant, he agreed to join them in looking for tuxes.

Remus is coming by Floo Powder so James was pacing in front of the fireplace and Sirius is sitting irritated in a chair.

"_Siriusly_ Prongs, calm down," teases Sirius, and James groans.

"How many times have we told you that that pun died many moons ago?" Sirius counts on three of his fingers before answering.

"17,679 times, today," says Sirius grinning. James rolls his eyes and resumes pacing. "Did anyone ever tell you that if you keep rolling your eyes they're one day going to roll out of your head?"

"No, but I'll keep that in mind," murmurs James. "_Where's_ Moony? He's late!"

"No he isn't, Prongs," implores Sirius. "He actually would be ten minutes early if he arrived now."

James sighs. "Maybe I'm overreacting about this wedding."

Sirius stares at him incredulously. "_Maybe?_ James, you tried to actually tame your hair. Your _untamable_ hair! You're nine miles past overreacting!"

James rolls his eyes. "Thanks Padfoot, I can always count on you to make me feel better."

"All I'm saying is, tone it down, like, several notches," says Sirius, leaning forward in his chair. "Just because you're taking this wedding crazy serious doesn't mean Lily will necessarily look at you any differently. _Especially_ because she didn't invite you and I mean, it's the wedding for the sister she _loathes!"_

James sighs again. "You're right. Fine, I'll try and calm down." All of a sudden green flames materialize in the fireplace and out of it appears a brutally scarred Remus.

James jumps up. "Where have you been? We've been waiting for you!" Sirius slaps his forehead with the palm of his hand and Remus looks puzzled at James.

"Ignore him, Moony," says Sirius getting up to help with Remus' trunk and owl cage. "He's going through PLM."

"What's PLM?" asks Remus. He has a feeling he does not want to know.

"Pre-Lily Madness," explains Sirius, and Remus laughs. James glares at the pair of them.

"Come on! We need to go shopping for tuxes!"

"OI! Keep your pants on, Prongsie!"

"Is Remus here?" asks Dorea walking down the stairs. "Hello, Remus dear!"

"Hello, Mrs. Potter," says Remus politely.

"I've told you a million times Remus, call me Dorea," she says, smiling fondly at him. "It's never stopped Sirius here."

"Ah, Dorea, one day you'll fall madly in love with me and run off when Mr. Potter isn't watching," teases Sirius.

"What's this I hear?" asks Charlus Potter walking in through the front door. "Sirius trying to steal my wife again?"

"Of course not Charlus, 'ol pal," smirks Sirius. He turns back to Dorea and winks though.

"Come on Padfoot, enough flirting with my mum," laughs James. "She's way too old for you anyway."

"_Excuse_ me?" says Dorea narrowing her eyes playfully.

"Err – I love you mummy," says James batting his eyes. Dorea playfully smacks her third youngest on the arm and helps her husband get his coat off.

"We're going to go shopping for tuxes now, so we'll be back later tonight," James tells his parents. "We can catch something to eat in the village."

"Okay, be careful," says Dorea.

"Aren't I always?"

"Do I really have to dignify that with a response?"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The next day, the Evans' house is full of mayhem. They are all running around preparing for the wedding and so far Petunia has been reduced to tears five times. It is only ten in the morning.

"Hey mum, can I ask you something?" asks Lily, walking into the kitchen alone. Currently Margaret is still asleep.

"Sure honey," replies Rose.

"Do you and daddy really like Vernon?"

Rose stops polishing the cabinets mid-wipe and sighs.

"No, I can't say that we do," she says, starting again.

"Then you don't think he's a good match for Tuney?"

Rose shakes her head. "On the contrary. I think he's a perfect match for Petunia. Your sister has always wanted to lead a normal life and so has Vernon as I'm sure we can all see. I think he'll be able to give her that life she has always wanted."

Lily nods and leaves her mum to clean and goes upstairs to wake Margaret.

Later, as Lily and Margaret got dressed, they talked about how they still cannot believe Petunia is getting married.

"I still can't believe it," says Lily as Margaret helped her zip her gold dress. "I always imagined the day my sister got married, well – I'd actually _want_ to be in the reception."

Margaret smiles sadly. "It'll be fine. Remus will be there to support you and I'm sure he will look handsome in his tux." She blushes slightly and Lily laughs.

"Yes, I imagine he'll be a right sight better than seeing Vernon in a tux." Margaret had met Vernon last night and had to excuse herself to go to the bathroom immediately. Lily swore she could hear stifled giggles from in there muffled by a towel.

Margaret grins. "That's the spirit." She grins to herself at the thought of two other marauders being there. Lily will be so shocked and Rose and John had approved them coming. She had made them promise not to tell Lily since it was a "surprise" for her.

They both laugh and finish dressing and putting their makeup on. Once they have finished primping they walked down the stairs taking mind not to twist their ankles in their high heels of destruction.

"You two look beautiful!" gushes Rose. "Here, let me take some pictures."

Lily and Margaret stand next to each other with their arms around the other's shoulders. They grin and on three the camera flashes. Several flashes later Lily can swear she has never smiled so long before in her life.

"If you give me a copy I could put them into a Potion and make them move," says Lily. She knows how much her parents love the moving photographs in the Wizarding world.

"Yes, there's nothing freaky at _all_ about moving pictures," sneers Petunia. "Totally normal!"

Lily glares at her sister. Her parents look between the two of them uneasily. This is supposed to be a special day but Petunia always manages to ruin one.

Lily then decides to do the thing that will annoy her sister the most. She approaches her, noting the fear in her Petunia's eyes.

"I'm happy for you and I can't wait to see you and Vernon get married today," says Lily, feigning sweetness. She smiles at Petunia's shocked face and walks past her. If anything, it will make her sister come out worse and her smelling like a…well, like a lily flower. If nothing else, it will successfully shut Petunia up for the rest of the day.

She walks out of the kitchen with Margaret and out to the yard where there are people setting up chairs and a marquee. Lily has never been to a wedding before, or if she had been she was too young to remember it. She wonders what her own wedding will look like. She supposes different in that it will be a Wizarding wedding and not a Muggle one. Margaret shook her out of her thoughts.

"Lily? Did you hear me?" asks Margaret. Lily turns to look at Margaret like she is seeing her for the first time.

"Sorry, I must have been daydreaming," says Lily apologetically. "What did you say?"

"I was asking whether or not you knew what time Remus is coming?"

"Oh, well the wedding starts at two and I think he wrote that he'd be here around noon," replies Lily. She looks at the clock visible in the kitchen. It is now quarter to noon!

"He should be coming in fifteen minutes then," says Margaret nervously. Lily gives her a comforting smile.

"You'll be amazing Margaret," she reassures her. "Just relax and don't stutter," she jokes. Margaret suddenly looks alarmed.

"Is it that obvious?" she asks anxiously.

Lily shakes her head hastily. "No one else has put two-and-two together. I'm the only one that knows."

Margaret groans and sits down. "I'm a wreck."

"No you are not!" Lily cries, sitting down next to her. "Merlin, Margaret, you two are a perfect match for each other!"

"Yeah, how?"

"Well, let's see. You're both great in school, you can both be reserved but loud when you want to be, you're both sweet and funny…"

"Careful, or I'll think you like him too," jokes Margaret, and Lily laughs.

"See? That's what I mean!" she says. "Remus would be lucky to date someone like you."

Margaret smiles. "Thanks Lily." They hug and seconds later hear a distant pop.

"That should be him!" squeals Lily. "Remus said that Mr. Potter would bring him by Side-Long Apparation. You go meet him, I have to go in to make sure the cake is okay."

Margaret nods nervously and runs around the side of the house where the gate is. She nearly stumbles when she comes face-to-face with the most handsome man she had ever seen.

"Hey Margaret," says Remus grinning. She looks absolutely stunning. "You look great."

"Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself," she says blushing. She lets him, James, and Sirius in and they all stand transfixed in the backyard.

"You look like you've seen a UFO," smirks Margaret. "You two look great," she adds to James and Sirius.

"Thank you m'lady," says Sirius, bowing for her. James smirks and pats him on the back.

"Where's Evans?" James asks anxiously. He tried once more to tame his hair before he arrived but it proved fruitless. It just would not cooperate.

"Margaret, is he here?" Lily calls from inside the house. Margaret looks around alarmed.

"Erm – yeah, he's out here!" she shouts back. "You two, hide behind those bushes," she hisses to James and Sirius. "When I give you your cue, come out and –" But they run off before she can finish.

Right as they hide, Lily comes out and runs over to hug Remus.

"Good to see you too Lily," he laughs. "You look great."

"Thanks, you too." He gives Margaret a meaningful look and she understands it. "How's your summer been?"

Lily grimaces. "Long. Petunia is actually going crazy –"

"SURPRISE!"

Lily closes her eyes. No. It cannot be who she thinks it is. She must be dreaming…or more likely having a nightmare. Please do not be real…please do not be…

Without warning, she is lifted off the ground and hugged by someone incredibly muscular.

"Put me down!" screams Lily flailing all of her limbs.

"Ah, Lily-flower, haven't you missed me?" teases Sirius as he puts her on the ground again. She glares at him and straightens her dress out.

That is when both boys notice how gorgeous she looks right now. James' mouth would have probably dropped to the ground if his jaw was not hinged on.

"Nice dress Evans," smirks James, ogling at her.

Lily crosses her arms defiantly and looks accusingly at Margaret. This was obviously her repayment for inviting Remus without Margaret's knowledge.

"Put your eyes back in their sockets, Potter," snaps Lily. James promptly turns his gaze somewhere else and Sirius smirks.

"Whipped," he mutters to James, who smacks him upside the head. Lily sighs.

"Come on, it's best to avoid the bride and groom," she suggests, leading them down the aisle. She turns to look at James and Sirius who are still in the same spot staring at her. "Unless you want to be put on a stake and burned."

The two of them guffaw but realize after that Lily was not kidding. However, once James and Sirius saw what this Dursley bloke looks like they had to hide their faces in their hands to control their laughter.

"Potter, everyone's watching you like you're deranged," hissed Lily. "Not to say they're not a good judge of character, but –"

"I resent that!" said James, controlling himself again. "Tell me then, Miss Perfect, what was your initial reaction when you first met him?"

Lily smirked. "I knew if an army tank was ever to come and attack me, I had someone big enough to hide behind."

James looks puzzled. "What's an army tank?"

So Lily spent the remaining time until the wedding explaining the army and then the navy to James.

"Cool," he says. "It's kind of like the Order against Voldemort."

Lily nodded. "In a nutshell, yes. Don't ask, Muggle expression." James grins and turns to see Sirius running towards them.

"Guess what, Prongs?" he says excitedly. "I think I just picked up some Muggle chicks. Hey Evans, what does it mean when a Muggle asks can I have your number?"

Lily fell into a hysterical state of giggles. She knows Sirius could not help not knowing what a phone is but she had never actually been asked by a teenager what it is.

Once Lily got over her laughing she responds.

"When a Muggle asks for your number she means your _phone_ number," explains Lily. Sirius and James continue to look at her blankly. "Don't you two take Muggle studies?"

Sirius smirks. "That doesn't mean we _listen_."

"Then why'd you bother taking it?"

"It pissed my parents like hell."

James and Lily laugh. "What did you tell the girl then?"

"I asked her what the hell she was talking about and if she belonged to an insane asylum," replies Sirius.

Lily says, "I don't think you're picking up any girls today, Black." Sirius pouts and began walking away to flirt with someone else. That is until he realized it was a boy with longer hair. Lily and James swear that they cracked at least five ribs from laughing hysterically. Sirius did not find it very amusing though.

"Where did Margaret and Remus go?" asks Lily, looking around.

"They went off somewhere to talk," smirks James. "If you ask me, once we get back to Hogwarts we should stuff them in a broom closet together."

"They would make a cute couple," says Lily grinning. She has to make sure she does not slip that she knows Margaret's true feelings.

"Lily, the wedding is about to start. You have to go to the back," whispers Rose frantically. Lily grimaces and follows her mother to the back of the procession. James watches her once she has her back turned. His eyes wander particularly to the lower half of her body.

"Prongs? Prongs! PRONGS!" shouts Sirius. James jumps and turns to face Sirius. "Come on, mate. If you don't move out of the way quickly you're going to be run over by the bride."

James smirks and sits down in between Sirius and Remus. The marquee becomes quiet except for the harp and piano player.

First came Lily and two other girls who look at least two years older than her. James remembers Lily saying one was Yvonne, Petunia's friend, and the other was Marge, Vernon's sister.

James holds back a snort once Marge comes into view. She looks like a girl version of Vernon. Large, beefy, and she even has a mustache like him, though obviously not as thick and pronounced as his. Lily by far is the prettiest of them all, no competition.

Next, once they had reached the altar, comes the flower girl. She is Lily and Petunia's younger cousin and she is throwing petunias all around. What a surprise. Personally, James thought the lily flower beat the petunia but that is just him. Then came the ring bearer who is also Lily and Petunia's younger cousin. He looks around seven years old.

Then finally, came Petunia in her white dress, which was being carried by two boys who look like they would rather be anywhere else. James thinks that for all it is worth, they have probably been paid by their parents to do this.

Once Petunia has reached the altar, she stands across from Vernon with tears in her eyes. James looks up to the front to see Mrs. Evans and Mrs. Dursley crying together, arm in arm.

The minister begins, going through the whole list of things they say when you get married but James finds himself staring at Lily the whole time. Later, she realizes he is watching and gives a wink and rolls her eyes. He grins and turned his attention back to what is actually happening.

"Now, do you, Petunia Sara Evans, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Petunia stares into Vernon's eyes and both Lily and James feel like they are going to be sick.

"I do," she whispers.

"And do you, Vernon John Dursley, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" asks the Minister. In James' opinion he also looked like he would rather be somewhere else.

"I do," says Vernon.

"Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife," says the Minister. "You may now kiss the bride."

James and Sirius make gagging noises as they kiss, much to the annoyance of the people behind them. Remus shakes his head and remains politely quiet.

The wedding reception begins fairly well, all things considered. Vernon and Petunia spend the whole time together as expected and Lily hangs out with the marauders and Margaret.

"You looked tortured up there," comments Margaret, taking a sip of non-alcoholic champagne.

"I was trying to think of situations worse than that," smirks Lily. "It was difficult."

"Being attacked by the giant squid?" suggested Sirius.

"Meeting Voldemort and him telling you he's your father?" guesses James.

"Those are all pretty bad," amends Lily. "The best I could think of was a root-canal you don't need."

Everyone looks at her like she has three heads.

"Do you know how difficult it is to hang out with people who know _no_ Muggle expressions or occupations?" asks Lily amused.

"Almost as hard as it is to hang out with someone who _does_ know Muggle expressions or occupations," teases James. Lily slaps his arm.

"Hardy, har, har, you're so funny," she mocks. Just then Petunia and Vernon stride over to them.

"Hello Vernon," says Lily through gritted teeth.

"Hello Lily," sneers Vernon. "How was your school year?"

Lily knows he is asking her this just for kicks.

"Excellent, I happen to be one of the top in my year," she says, smiling sweetly at him. "These are a few of my – friends." James can tell though that she uses the term loosely. "You've met Margaret the other day."

Vernon nods curtly. He could not find anything negative to say about Margaret. "Hello. And who are these three? Your body guards or your boyfriends?"

Lily's eyes flash dangerously at the implication and James decides to step in.

"I'm James Potter and these are my two friends; Sirius Black and Remus Lupin," he said defiantly. "We're in the same year as Lily."

Vernon forces a smile onto his face. "How charming. Isn't that charming, Petunia?"

"Very," nods Petunia stiffly. She looks like she swallowed a lemon and seems to be giving a one-over on the three boys. She also seems, much to her unhappiness, impressed. Sirius notices this and smirks.

"How come you have all those scars on your face?" asks Vernon suddenly to Remus. Remus freezes. "You look like you've been clawed close to death by a savage beast."

James, Sirius, and Remus exchange a covert glance. The other night had been a full moon and now that they look closely, they notice Remus' scars are very pronounced, being only a few days old.

"I don't believe it's any of your business where I got these scars," says Remus coolly. "Nor is it your business how I got them."

Lily has never seen Remus look so angry. She had long ago stopped asking how he got them and decided that when he wanted to tell her, he would.

"Why don't you not stick your oversized nose where it doesn't belong?" suggests James.

"Oh yeah? Who's going to stop me?" says Vernon, laughing derisively. "_You?"_

"That's right," says James, taking his wand out of his pocket. Lily and Margaret gasp.

"Potter don't be more of an eejit than usual," hisses Lily anxiously. "Put that away."

"Yeah, listen to her, put your little wooden stick away," says Vernon, knowing fully well what it was and what it could do. "Do what your little freak of a girlfriend says."

James has reached a boiling point and before anyone could say anything else, Vernon was knocked off his feet.

"Vernon!" squeals Petunia, trying to help him up. He is so big that she almost fell down on stop of him.

James looks at the pair of them. It has been many years since he has caused accidental magic. He would have to be careful or else he can get in trouble with the Ministry _and_ his dad.

Vernon eventually gets up and glares at them before walking off with Petunia, once again, on his arm.

"What an asshole," mutters Sirius.

"Yeah, and that's him when he's at his best," sighs Lily. She turns to James. "Potter, what were you thinking? You could get expelled for doing…_magic_. And put your wand away."

James hastily stows his wand back in his jacket pocket.

"I was thinking that that Vernon Dursley deserves to be buried as close to hell as anyone can," replies James stiffly. "He also deserves to be flushed down Moaning Myrtle's S-bend but that's just my opinion."

They all laugh and the mood lightens considerably. Before they know it, the area begins clearing and people were starting to dance.

Soon enough, Margaret and Remus have gone off to dance somewhere, Sirius has gone off to flirt aimlessly with more girls, and that has left Lily and James alone. To Lily's surprise, it is not awkward at all. James is actually pleasant for a change.

"How have you lived for the past five years in the same room as that pig?" asks Lily, motioning to Sirius dancing with a group of girls.

James laughs, sending chills up Lily's spine for reasons unknown to her. His laugh is so melodious and light and airy, yet incredibly rich. The perfect balance. "It's easy. I know all of his weaknesses and how to get him to shut up when I really want him to. No, Sirius is great. Always a laugh and when it comes down to it, is always there for me."

Lily smiles and realizes how close James and his friends are. She knows then probably to two most important things he values. Quidditch and friendship.

"Lily? Lily! LILY EVANS!" cries James. Lily's head snaps up.

"What?"

"You looked like you were leaving us for a moment there," says James. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just thinking."

"What about?"

Lily shrugs. Then she gets a mischievous look on her face.

"Uh, oh," says James apprehensively. "That look can mean nothing good. Either you have a brilliant plan or you're seriously constipated."

Lily laughs. "Don't worry, it's not the latter. I think it would be amusing though if we were to play the question game."

"What's the question game?"

"It's the game where we go back and forth and ask each other various questions," explains Lily. "It can be about family, friends, enemies, etc."

James nods. "All right, you go first."

"Bad choice there, my dearie," said Lily in a mythical voice. James chuckles. "Okay, what's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you at school?"

James blanches. This game is going to be the end of him.

"Err – I'm not so sure you want to know," he murmurs. He was not so sure he wants to tell either.

"Oh, come on! Just tell me, it can't be that bad!"

James sighs and then grins. "Okay, you asked for it. In our third year at Hogwarts, it was our first Hogsmeade trip and Sirius and I were walking down the street when we decided to climb up a tree and chase a squirrel."

"Uh oh."

"Yeah, well we got up the tree and was on a branch when the squirrel jumped to the next and our pants got hooked onto the branch."

Lily already has tears in her eyes from laughing.

"Well we were just hanging there yelling for help when who comes along but your old buddy Snape and his two friends Avery and Mulciber," says James darkly. "They of course, found the whole thing very amusing and decided it would be even more comical if they vanished our clothing."

Lily gasps and James grins.

"So here we are, hanging for dear life on a tree, no clothes covering us at _all_ and then the squirrel comes back and decides it'd be amusing to steal my glasses, leaving me blind as a bat."

"So it steals my glasses and I take down Hogsmeade wearing nothing but skin, chasing that squirrel and occasionally running into trees," finishes James. "Eventually McGonagall saw me though and took pity on me. She got my glasses back and Sirius and I got a month's detention for running around nude and climbing trees."

Lily erupts into a fit of giggles. "You're right! I didn't need to know that! Ever!"

James grins his infamous grin. "All right, my turn. Who was the first person you ever kissed?"

Now it is Lily's turn to blanch. "I can't say."

"Oh come on, I told you that story which I was dead set against doing, mind you," smirks James. "You at least owe me the decency of telling me who you kissed first."

"_James_, I really can't," begs Lily. She knows James can be an arrogant asshole most of the time but the truth will hurt him.

"Does Margaret know?"

Lily shakes her head. "I refused to tell anyone. They think it's someone else."

"Who do they think it is?"

"Rhett Davies."

James spits out his champagne. "_Rhett Davies?"_

"They _think_ that's who it is," implores Lily. "I swear to God I'll hunt you down and castrate you if you tell them differently."

James crosses his legs nervously. "Why are you so against – ?"

"Because you'll hate it, Potter," says Lily frustrated. "And quite frankly, it's none of your business."

"My story was technically none of your business either," points out James.

"Eh, technicalities." James sighs.

"I'm sorry, Potter, I just can't tell you," says Lily. "If I tell anyone it will hurt more than one person."

"I'm sure you're just exaggerating –" Lily slams down her glass of champagne.

"Fine! You want to know who it is? I'll tell you. It was Remus Lupin!"

James' world stopped spinning. _Lily_ kissing _Remus?_ His best mate, Remus? Remus _Lupin?_ What had the world come to? The world for sure must be ending. It was the sign of the apocalypse.

James grins. "I'm sorry, I must have had a misconception. I thought I heard you say your first kiss was Remus."

Lily sighs. "You heard right."

James jumps up. "_Remus?"_

"Gazuntite," says Sirius, sauntering over to them and sitting down. "So, what are we talking about?"

"We're talking about how Lily's first kiss was _Remus,"_ sneers James. He cannot believe that Remus never told them this. He knows that James likes Lily!

"Potter!" shrieks Lily. Thankfully, the music is so loud no one could hear her. Sirius looks shocked.

"Remus?" he says incredulously. "_Remus Lupin_ of _Hogwarts_?"

"How many other Remus Lupin's do you know who go to Hogwarts," asks Lily coldly.

Sirius shrugs. "I'm just checking. Which year was it?"

"Seriously, when did my personal life become your guys' business?"

"The second you let loose that you kissed our best mate," sneered James.

"Best mate?" says Remus, walking up to them with Margaret. Both are pink in the face from dancing. "Wouldn't happen to be talking about me, now would you?"

"Indeed," snarls James. "How come you never told us that you and Evans did the deed?"

Remus' eyes widen and he looks at Lily shocked. Margaret's expression is similar to his but with her shocked look is a look of betrayal.

"Now hold it right there, Potter! That's a load of bull," says Lily. "You practically made me tell you who my first kiss was. This is really your –"

"Whoa!" cries Margaret. "I thought you said Rhett Davies was your first kiss!"

"She lied than, didn't she?" jeers James.

"I lied because if I told you the truth I knew _this_ would happen!"

"How could you possibly have known this would happen?"

"Because it's _you,_ Potter! You always harp on about the most ridiculous things! For instance, why do you think no boy will ask me out anymore? Because the ones who did got run off by _you!"_

"Oh, and all this time I thought it was just because you were unattractive," smirks James. He has crossed the line _again_.

Margaret, Remus, and Sirius gasp. For someone who cares about Lily, he sure has a poor way of showing it.

Lily looks like she has been slapped in the face. Tears fill up in her eyes after hearing something she always feared. How could he say such a horrible thing to her even if it was the truth?

"Lily dear, could you please cut the cake?" asks her mum, walking up to the five of them.

Lily takes one look at her mother and runs into the house.

"Was it something I said?"

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A/N: Please review!


	4. Apologies and Disasters

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 4 – Apologies and Disaster

_*"Was it something I said?"*_

Lily runs into the house in a rush. She runs up the stairs and runs into her room and slams the door. She does not even go to her bed. She just slides down the wall and lets the tears fall down her gentle face. She hears footsteps in the house and locks the door, not by magic though because it is the summer.

She hates how these boys can play her like a harp. First Severus and now _Potter?_ It is so frustrating and she has no idea why he is able to get to her. It is not like she gives a damn what he thinks. Right?

There is a knock on her door.

She does not respond.

There is another knock and then several more consecutive ones.

She still does not respond and tries her best to block it out. As she ignores it, she takes a tissue and wipes off her makeup. She washes her face in her bathroom too.

There is now very consistent banging. It keeps getting louder and louder until…

"All right! I'm coming!" cries Lily. She strides over to the door, unlocks it, and wrenches it open annoyed. There stands James. She slams the door in his face and locks it again.

"Come on Evans, let me in," begs James.

"Give me one reason why I should let you."

"Because of my extremely hot body?"

Lily snorts. "You're a swine."

"But you still love me right?"

Lily snorts again and decides not to respond. She figures that will be sufficient enough. James sighs.

"Evans, can't you just let me in?"

"Or what?"

"I'll open it myself."

"You can't use magic outside of school," smirks Lily. Then she remembers he cannot see her.

"Do you think I give a damn? Besides, I know how to pick a lock, I'm not an idiot."

"Of course you do. Of course you'd learn the one Muggle thing that's criminal related?"

"How's is getting into your room criminal related?"

"Ever heard of a pedophile?"

"I believe the correct term is sex offender."

"Ah. Anything else you'd like to say?"

"Yes. You never know what's in your closet."

"Thanks for sharing, pervert."

"You're _older_ than me!"

"Eh, details."

She hears a click and her door swings open. James stands in the doorframe grinning. Then he takes one look at her face and the grin fades.

"I think I'm going to call the cops," mutters Lily turning away from him. She looks out the window at the backyard and sees the reception still taking place. She pays particular attention to Margaret and notices how she has detached herself from the others.

Remus and Sirius are sitting at a table discussing something and Remus looks incredibly worn out. She should have never told James that he was her first kiss.

She senses his presence next to her and feels his eyes on her. She does not look at him though and instead stares at the sunset. His stare grows more intense and she risks looking up at him.

Big mistake.

His hazel eyes are so big and full of concern she feels as though she is going to drown in them. She wishes he would look somewhere else but they are unwavering on her.

"Listen, Evans, I'm sorry," mutters James, and Lily is taken aback. It is not every day that the "great" James Potter apologizes.

"You're always sorry," whispers Lily. She looks away from him and back outside. "How do I know that you don't just want me not mad at you?"

"I mean it this time," he says sincerely.

"So you didn't mean it before?"

James shakes his head vehemently. "That came out wrong."

"Yeah, that tends to happen a lot with you."

He runs his hand through his hair, messing it up more than it had been. What is the point in keeping it tame anymore?

"I was way out of line in asking who you first kissed and then telling everyone the truth…and I should have never said that you're unattractive –"

"You were just being honest." He stares at her incredulously.

"You're kidding me, right?" When she does not contradict him, his eyes widen. "Evans, you can't honestly think I meant that!"

"Why else would you have said it?" she snaps. She freezes. "You really are a jerk."

"I'm sorry! I was just upset that you and Remus –"

"It was _years_ ago Potter! We were thirteen for Merlin's sake and when we left the library some seventh year trapped us under mistletoe!"

James is silent. So they did not have feelings for each other?

"And that's it?" he says quietly.

"That's it."

"Well why didn't you just say that?"

"Because you never gave me a chance Potter!" she snarls. "You immediately jumped to the conclusion that we are something more and hurt a lot of other people in the process!" James hangs his head. He officially feels like a royal arse.

"What can I do to make it up to you?" he asks earnestly.

Before she can respond with "leaving" she hears a crash outside.

The two of them run to the window and look out horrified. Outside of the house there are no less than thirty people in cloaks with pointed hoods and masks that cover their faces.

Death Eaters.

There is a flash of light and a scream and without a second thought, Lily runs out of her bedroom.

"Lily, wait!" yells James, tearing after her.

She ignores him though and throws off her heels. She slides down the banister and hears James' pounding feet behind her. The only thought on her mind though is reaching her family and ensuring their safety.

"Potter! Send an owl to the Ministry and tell them to get the arses down here!" Lily shouts up the stairs.

"Like hell I'm going to let you run into a yard full of Death Eaters and possibly Voldemort!" he cries, finally catching up to her.

"_Potter!_ If you want to make it up to me just _do as I say_. I have to get outside before my parents –" Her eyes fill up with tears again, much to his dismay.

"Alright, alright. Go!"

She sprints through the kitchen and runs outside where the guests are all trapped. She ducks as a flash of green light is aimed at her and instead it hits a fox that wandered into the yard. It lays spread eagle on the ground with its eyes wide open.

"_Stupefy!"_ she cries, successfully stunning one of the Death Eaters. She realizes too late though that this is a bad idea because it only draws attention to her.

"Evans," snarls the Death Eater next to the fallen one. "Get her!"

An unfamiliar curse is aimed at her and she yells, "_Protego!"_ Her shield is not strong enough, however, and the curse breaks through it and hits her shoulder. She yells and falls to the ground in pain. She tries to clutch her shoulder but it does nothing to help the pain.

"_Furunculus!"_ she mutters through gritted teeth. The Death Eater who shot the curse at her face erupts in boils. She uses the distraction to run over to where Sirius is battling several Death Eaters at once.

"Nice of you to join us, Lily-flower," he mutters, looking briefly over at her.

"Where are Remus and Margaret?" she asks anxiously.

"Snogging in your bathroom? I'm joking!" he cries, deflecting a nasty looking curse. "I have no idea. I think Remus is somewhere here fighting Dolohov or some other Death Eater. His mask fell off."

"And my parents?" she asks, fearing the answer.

"They were hurrying guests to their cars and getting the children out first." Lily sees that he is under a lot of stress and runs off so he can concentrate.

"_Incendio!"_ she hears a woman's voice yell. To her horror, the tent bursts up in flames surrounding her as well as Sirius. If they cannot put this fire out soon it will burn her house down!

"_Aguamenti!"_ she cries, trying to put out the fire. A jet of water comes from her wand but does little to stop its spreading.

"Lily!" James yells from the house. He has run out and is staring at her transfixed. The fire is slowly engulfing her. Her eyes widen in shock as she realizes this.

"_Aguamenti! Aguamenti!"_ she cries hysterically.

All of a sudden something similar to black smoke materializes in front of her. When she looks closer she realizes it is another hooded Death Eater.

"_Crucio!"_

Lily falls to the ground in pain. It feels like thousands of white-hot knives are piercing her skin. She is positive that she is yelling and all of a sudden the curse is lifted.

Her voice hurts from screaming and her back hurts from when she fell. She looks around for the reason her attacker stopped and her eyes widen. James and the Death Eater are now wrestling on the ground.

The Death Eater's mask falls off and reveals Lucius Malfoy's handsome face. His platinum blonde hair is everywhere now as he kicks James off of him and fires another curse. It barely misses James' right ear and instead hits a window, which shatters.

"_Imobulus_," Lily whispers, pointing her wand at him. She suddenly feels a lot weaker after just being under the Cruciatus curse.

He stops moving and tries to look around for his attacker when Lily stuns him and levitates him out of the backyard, making sure to silence him also. That is another out of the way, now she has to focus on getting out of this mess.

The fire has spread since she last really looked and she sees Margaret and Remus trying to put it out with repeated Aguamenti spells. It is hardly making a difference now.

There is a pop and Lily thinks with relief that it is the Aurors. Her bubble is burst though when she comes face-to-face with much worse than all of the Death Eaters put together.

Lord Voldemort has made an appearance.

He waves his wand and the fire is immediately put out. Lily coughs silently, the smoke still residing in the air. Lily tries to look through the smoke to see him but the harder she tries, the more her eyes water.

"Who was foolish enough to cast Everlasting fire?" he asks coldly. Lily's eyes widen horrified. If he had not stopped it… "Was it you, Bellatrix?"

One of the hooded Death Eaters takes her hood off and reveals herself. She has black hair that goes halfway down her back and heavily lidded eyes. Lily remembers her from the past year at Hogwarts, she had just graduated and already she is a Death Eater?

"Yes, my Lord," she whispers, her voice full of adoration and lust. Lily makes a face.

"_Crucio!"_ Bellatrix writhes on the ground in pain and Lily watches on terrified. Was she like this only a few moments ago? "We are trying to kill the Muggles, Bellatrix, not burn their house to the ground!"

"Yes, my Lord…"

He turns to survey the area. The entire backyard is charred and ruined. He smirks at this and Lily's blood begins to boil. How can anyone be so flippant when there are innocent lives in danger?

"It seems as though Miss Evans does not approve of my manners," sneers Voldemort, turning his eyes on her. Lily can feel the force of having them on her but stares back at him determinedly. "Tell me, Miss Evans, how should I be behaving?"

His followers laugh good-humouredly and Lily feels the eyes of her fellow classmates on her. Where are the Aurors?

Most importantly, where are her parents?

"Your parents are a little _busy_ at the moment," jeers Voldemort.

"What did you do to them?" she yells furiously. She feels a pair of hands try and restrain her but she fights against them. She stands up and continues to shout. "What did you do with my parents?"

"Evans, calm –" begins James.

"LET GO OF ME, POTTER!" she shrieks, and the Death Eaters roar with laughter.

"Well lookey here," sneers Lucius. "The Mudblood is the girlfriend of the Bloodtraitor Potter." Lily's eyes flash.

"Is this true?" Voldemort asks dangerously. He looks at the two of them in disgust. "Either way, that's not what I am here for…" He raises his wand just as there is a loud crack. At first Lily thinks it is from his wand until she sees Voldemort turn around in shock.

There are no less than twenty Aurors present along with professor Dumbledore. Voldemort's eyes seem to shift at the arrival of Dumbledore but he smirks anyway.

"Hello Tom," says Dumbledore serenely, and Voldemort snarls.

Lily looks on in confusion. Tom? Well, she supposes Voldemort is a highly unlikely name to be given as a child. Tom is a lot more likely.

"That is not my name," he says, his red eyes flashing.

"You must forgive me, it is very hard to teach and old dog new tricks." He raises his wand and is about to say something when Voldemort beats him to it.

"_Serpensortia!"_ A giant snake, much bigger than any normal would be able to produce, materializes and turns to strike Dumbledore.

"_Incendio_," says Dumbledore lazily. The fire, much more controlled than when Bellatrix cast it, burns the snake until it is ashes. Voldemort looks livid.

Lily watches as the two Wizards battle it out in the middle of her yard, spells flying every which way. The Aurors; meanwhile, are trying to evacuate the area of any remaining Muggles. One of them walks up to her and lifts her up forcefully.

"No! I have to find my family!" she cries, wrenching her arm out of his grip.

"Your family is –"

"Lily!" yells a female voice. She turns around in time to intercept her mum. "Oh, thank Merlin that you are alright."

"Where's dad?" she asks hurriedly.

"He went to bring Petunia and Vernon back to his place. Vernon's parents are…" she trails off with tears in her eyes, and Lily gasps. Her mum sets her eyes then on the scene going on between Dumbledore and Voldemort and her eyes widen.

"Who is _that?"_ she asks, and Lily is not sure whom she is referring to. Both look a tad bizarre: Voldemort with his pale, white skin, bald head, and red eyes and Dumbledore with his electric, blue eyes and long beard.

"That's Dumbledore and _that's_ Voldemort. He's the most evil Dark Wizard –"

"How _dare_ you say my Master's name in vain, you filthy Mudblood!" shrieks Bellatrix. Lily spins around and stares into the face of Bellatrix Black.

"_Stupefy!"_

"_Protego!"_

"_Expelliarmus!"_ Lily shouts. Bellatrix deflects it, however, easily.

"_Gastrodoleo!"_ The curse hits Lily right in her abdomen and she doubles over in pain. She tries to stand up right but the pain is just too much.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_

Using all of her remaining strength, Lily dives to the side and pulls her mum down with her.

"Mum, you have to get out of here!" she grunts. "It's not safe for you since you can't defend yourself!"

"I'm not leaving –" her mum begins but she does not finish her sentence.

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

This time the curse was said by Voldemort, meant for Lily but he misses her by an inch and instead…

Rose Evans is now laying spread eagle on the ground – the ghost of her final words etched on her face. Her eyes are wide open in fear and desperation to leave with her daughter.

"No!" Lily cries. "NO! _NO! MUM!"_

The entire backyard has stopped moving except for the Death Eaters and Voldemort.

"_Morsmordre!"_ says Voldemort, pointing his wand to the sky.

The image of a skull with a serpent as its tongue appears in the night sky. It lights up the backyard like fireworks do during celebrations.

There is one loud crack and all the Death Eaters and Voldemort disappear leaving everyone speechless. All eyes are on Lily and her mum.

"Miss Evans," begins Dumbledore, kneeling next to her, "you have to move aside –"

"No!" she yells. She stares at the scared face of her mother and feels hot tears well up in her eyes. "I'm not leaving her! She should have never come back for me! They wanted _me!"_ The pain in her stomach is nothing now to the wrenching of her heart. Her mom cannot be…

"She's gone Lily," whispers James. She shakes her head and does not register the fact that he called her by her first name. "You have to get up so they can move her."

She feels herself being lifted up and tries to fight but the person or people lifting her are too strong. If only she was still wearing her heels she might have been able to step on their feet.

The tears are beginning to fall more steadily and she sees Margaret also crying next to Remus. He has his arm wrapped around her shoulders comfortingly but she walks over to Lily to hug her. The betrayal she had been feeling earlier is going to have to be put on hold for now.

Right now her best friend needs her.

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Suffice to say, when the marauders got back home it is not in good spirits.

"Are you guys okay?" asks a frantic Dorea, as her son and two friends walk in. "Your father owled me about the attack on Lily's house and that Voldemort, himself made an appearance!"

James nods. "It was awful mum. Even once the Aurors arrived it didn't get better, only worse. The groom's parents and Mrs. Evans are…" Dorea gasps.

"No!" The three boys nods and she hugs them tightly.

"Leggo mum, you're choking us!" gasps James.

"I'm just so glad that you're all safe!" she cries. "Oh dear, what about Lily -?"

"I think Dumbledore brought her to St. Mungos because she went into shock," says Remus wearily. His mind is still spinning from the turn of events today. Weddings were supposed to be _happy_ occasions, not end in death on both sides of the family.

"I have to go," says James abruptly, and the others look at him in shock.

"You're not going anywhere!" his mum says shrilly. "It is too dangerous right now and the Death Eaters can be wandering outside right now."

"I have no choice." Before any of them can stop him he grabs some Floo Powder and jumps in the fireplace.

"St. Mungos," he murmurs so they cannot follow him.

"Do you have any idea where he may be going?" asks Dorea anxiously.

"I think I have an idea," replies Sirius.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

It took most of the Auror department as well as an entire Obliviator squad to erase the memory of the wedding disaster from the Muggles. Lily knows though that no amount of Charms put on her would make her forget what happened that day.

The aftermath of her mother's death was not a pretty one. Between the loss of Vernon's parents and then of her own mother, Petunia was – to say the least – _livid_. Lily wishes that she could erase the memories of her confrontation with her sister that same evening of the wedding night.

_-Flashback-_

She is sitting in her bedroom with Margaret who is trying to comfort her when it happens. The door swings open and smacks the wall with a sickening crack. There in the doorway stands an angry, tear-streaked, now Petunia Dursley and what looks like an even bigger, purple-faced Vernon Dursley.

"You _bitch!"_ Petunia shrieks, storming into the room. She looks around in distaste and then returns her gaze on Lily, who is staring at her sister speechless.

"Petunia, please –" she begins.

"NO! _My_ mother's death is _your_ fault! If you hadn't been such a freak and go off to that Wizarding freak school she would still be alive!"

"Don't do this, Petunia!" scolds Margaret. "You two need each other right now. You shouldn't be blaming your _guys'_ mother's death on anyone other than Voldemort."

Petunia opens her mouth to retort angrily when Vernon interrupts her with a rather loud, rude snort.

"Petunia doesn't need _her_," Vernon sneers. "We have each other because let's not forget that my parents were also killed because of this _tramp._" Lily's eyes fill with angry tears and she stands up to face Vernon and Petunia full on. The two seem slightly taken aback by the sudden movement but stare down at her with immense dislike.

"How _dare_ you blame our mother's death on me like I asked for this," she growls, and Petunia glares at her. "How was I to know Voldemort was going to aim for me and hit mum instead?"

"I WISH HE HADN'T MISSED!" shrieks Petunia, and Lily and Margaret gasp. "DON'T YOU EVER TALK TO ME AGAIN YOU BITCH!"

She storms out of the room and with a final contemptuous look, Vernon follows her, slamming the door behind him. The entire house shakes and lets out an exhale.

Margaret looks at Lily worriedly but she is not crying now. She is glaring at where her sister had been standing a few moments ago with her husband.

_-End Flashback-_

Lily is now in St. Mungos due to the possible damage Bellatrix may have done to her internal organs. Right now she is just waiting for her assigned Healer to return with the test results.

The door opens and she looks up expecting to see the Healer but the last person she wants to see greets her instead.

"Hey," James says to her. He looks around the room to check if anyone else is there. "How are you feeling?"

"Numb," she replies honestly. "But I expect I'll feel that way for a while." James nods and sits down in the chair next to her bed.

"How's your dad doing?" Lily sighs.

"He's blaming himself for what happened. He keeps saying he should have been there to help my mum but there would have been nothing he could have done. Besides, it's my fault and if I had lost both of them…" She trails off but James quickly intervenes.

"It is _not_ your fault that Voldemort missed you and killed your mother," James says adamantly, and Lily's eyes fill up with tears. He runs his hand through his hair wishing he had worded it better but Lily needs to understand that this is not her fault.

"Why are you here?" she asks harshly, blinking back her tears.

"I was worried about you," he replies, and she stares at him.

She is about to open her mouth to reply when the Healer comes in and looks at the two of them in surprise. Her lips then curve into a smile.

"Is this your boyfriend?" she asks amused, and Lily turns bright red. James' eyes widen in surprise.

"No!" they both say in unison. The Healer looks at them both in surprise.

"He was just about to leave actually," says Lily looking pointedly at James. He rolls his eyes and stands up.

"I'll see you on the train," he says.

"Maybe." He closes the door as he leaves and Lily turns to look at the Healer expectantly.

"He seems to have a thing for you," she teases. Lily snorts.

"James Potter has had a thing for every girl in Hogwarts, I'm just the first that refuses to fall into his trap." The Healer's eyes widen.

"_That_ was James _Potter?"_ she asks in shock. Lily nods. "Wow." Clearing her throat, she looks down at her clipboard. "Right, so all of your internal organs seem to be functioning properly. No damage was done to your ovaries like it was intended to." Lily shivers. "Thankfully, whoever cursed you did not hit you spot on."

"Is that all?" Lily asks.

"As it seems, you are healthy and will make an immediate recovery. However, we want to keep you here one more night for another round of testing." Lily sighs and nods knowing that it is standard procedure and it is for the best.

The Healer gives her a smile and walks out of the room passing John Evans on her way out.

"Excuse me, sir –" the Healer begins.

"I'm her father," John says shortly, and the Healer backs off. He walks over to her and sits down in the seat James had previously occupied. "Hi sweetheart."

"Hi daddy," she whispers. "How are you doing?"

He shrugs and replies tersely, "I just came back from helping clean up the backyard. There's still a lot of rubble there and we have to clean up before we can have the –"

He does not finish but Lily knows that he is referring to the wake and funeral for her mother. They were planning on having both at their house and then her mother was going to be buried in a nearby cemetery like Rose requested in her will. It was going to be a long couple of weeks.

Lily takes her father's hand and squeezes it.

"It'll be okay daddy, I'll be here for you," she says to him comfortingly. He smiles slightly at her and Lily notices the dark circles under his eyes.

"It'll be different this year." Lily looks at him confused. "When you go off to school."

Lily's heart wrenches painfully. He was right. Now with his wife gone and both of his daughters out of the house, John was going to be all alone for the school year. He was going to have to fend completely for himself and live in the house that had thirty years worth of memories. On the rainy days he would have to listen to the whispers of every little thing that happened in every spot of the house. On the sunny days he would be taunted by the gleeful noises of children running around when being happy seems so uncouth.

"I'm so sorry daddy…"

"I didn't mean to make you feel guilty!" John says hastily. Deciding it is best to change the subject he asks, "Did you get any news yet on your recovery?" Lily nods.

"They say there was no internal damage to be worried about and that they are just going to keep me here for one more night for some final tests." John nods, clearly relieved that his daughter is not going to have any lasting damage.

"None of this is your fault," Lily says to him slowly. "This is all on me. I'm a Witch and she was proud of it. I should have protected her –"

John shakes his head. "If we're going to blame anyone it should be _Him_. He did this to our family and is doing it to so many others. This is all on Him."

Lily sighs, knowing deep down that he is right but she cannot erase the guilty conscience. She should have done more because she _could_ have. That was where the difference between her and her father began. She could have done something whereas he would not have been much help and would have only put himself in danger.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The morning of September first is a hectic one in the Potter Manor. Between James, Sirius, Remus, and James' two younger siblings trying to get all their stuff together, it is a miracle that they arrived at platform 9 ¾ before eleven o'clock! Thankfully, Dorea was able to bring them each one at a time by sidelong Apparation or they would not have made it.

"Bye mum," says James, giving his mother a quick peck on the cheek. He has to lean down to do it now, considering he has grown about two inches over the summer.

"Goodbye James," says Dorea tearfully. She kisses her other children as well and hugs them each tightly. She always gets emotional about sending her children off to boarding school in the midst of a war. It is rare that her husband gets to come with his job making him constantly needed. The only time he has really ever seen his children off was their first year.

"Bye Dorea," says Sirius, also giving her a peck on the cheek.

"Bye – Dorea," says Remus, giving her the last peck that she would get from them all for a whole year.

"Bye guys." Her daughter, Jessica, glares at her. "And girl. Don't get into too much trouble!" she calls after them.

"We'll send you a toilet seat, Mum!" calls James before he runs through the platform.

"Forget that, we'll send you the new caretaker's, Filch's, cat, Mrs. Norris," said Sirius with a grin before also disappearing after James.

"Promise me that you'll keep them in check, Remus?"

Remus grins. "There's little hope, but I'll try my best." He waits for James' younger brother Jarred to go through the platform and when he does, Remus follows him onto the other side of the platform.

"We'll catch up with you lot later," James says to his twin siblings.

Looking at the two of them you would not have been able to realize they are twins, for they are as different as it gets. Jessica, the younger twin by three minutes, is very pretty and has jet black hair similar to James'. She is in her fourth year at Hogwarts and is very popular but has a small, close-knit group of friends that she can confide in.

Jarred, likewise, is also entering his fourth year at Hogwarts but that is where the similarities to his sister ends. He has sandy brown hair – a mix between his parents' – and unlike James and Jessica's hazel, has blue eyes. He is not as popular as Jessica for the simple reason that he is more reserved and puts up barriers when people try and befriend him. Ever since his brother John died, basically his best friend, he has cut contact with his family. He does not come to family meals anymore and instead has the house elf bring his dinner up after the others are finished eating.

Jessica bids the three marauders and her brother goodbye and runs off to find her friends. Likewise, Jarred departs but without so much as a word explaining where he is headed. James sighs.

"He hasn't coped well since John's death, has he?" says Remus. James shakes his head.

"None of us have but John was his only friend and could talk his temper down. He has definitely been the worse off since Voldemort killed John."

They stand in silence and James only breaks it by saying:

"Come on, let's go find Pete and grab our compartment. We'll see you after your Prefect meeting, Moony."

"Aw, wes, ickle Moony has to go to his Pwefect meeting," coos Sirius, pinching Remus' cheeks. James laughs and Remus swats him away.

"Don't you have someone else to harass?" asks Remus irritably.

"You're right," Sirius says brightly. He turns to James. "Let's find Evans!"

James rolls his eyes but complies and runs off with Sirius, leaving Remus on his own to pull his trunk and owl cage up the steps.

"Need a hand?" asks a girl's voice from behind him. He turns around and comes face-to-face with Margaret.

"Err – sure," he says, mildly uncomfortable. She smiles and helps him lift the trunk up the stairs.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it," she says. "How was the rest of your summer after the Death Eater attack?"

Remus sighs. "As good as one can expect. I stayed at the Potter Manor for the remainder and James was constantly wondering how Lily was doing. Thank Merlin that Sirius was there too or we might have all gone crazy. He always knows how to diffuse the tension." Margaret laughs.

"I can imagine. I'll never be able to comprehend how Mr. and Mrs. Potter can deal with both Sirius and James under one roof."

"Easy. Charlus is rarely home and Dorea makes sure to keep her distance at all times," jokes Remus.

"I hope you're not talking about us, ickle Prefect," cackles Sirius, coming up from behind. Remus snorts.

"No, I was talking about my two other eejit friends."

Sirius just noticed Margaret. "Ooh, whom do we have here? The future Mrs. Lupin?"

Both Remus and Margaret blush.

"Shut up, Sirius," says Remus. The marauders only call each other by their first names with two exceptions. One, they are irritated or two, they were having a serious conversation.

"Where's James?" asks Margaret, trying to remove the tension. She is annoyed though that Sirius had to ruin their conversation. It was going great until he came along and embarrassed them both.

"I left him once he found Evans in a compartment alone," replies Sirius wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Margaret groans.

"Black, Lily is hurting so much right now. The last thing she needs is James harassing her!" She storms off and Remus gives Sirius a look.

"She's right, you know." Sirius rolls his eyes and shrugs.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily is sitting on her own in a compartment in the back of the train. If she had been in a right mindset she would have avoided this section of the train all together. However, when James Potter is on a mission he will not stop until he accomplishes it. He opens the compartment door and at first thinks that he is in the wrong compartment.

Lily has changed so much since he saw her right after the wedding. For one, she has lost a lot of weight and she had already been petite to begin with. It is even more noticeable because she is still wearing her Muggle clothes: A tank top and a pair of low-rise jeans that _used_ to fit her snugly. She also has dark circles under her eyes and it looks like she has not slept in weeks. Overall, she does not look healthy and this concerns James more than he cares to admit.

Her head whips up upon hearing the compartment door open and she narrows her eyes. Why is she not surprised?

"Can't I get a moment's peace without you stalking me?" she asks annoyed. He does not respond immediately and she glares at him. "What do you want Potter?"

"When's the last time you got a good night's sleep Evans?" he asks her quietly.

Her facial features soften and she looks out the window. She cannot stand to see him looking at her like she is a ghost.

She is a ghost though. A ghost of what used to be a whole person.

He moves to sit down across from her and she stiffens. Why can he not just leave her alone? It is abundantly clear that she does not want company right now or she would be with her friends.

"Every time I close my eyes I remember that day," she says after a long period of silence. "I remember the way my mum fells spread eagle and how he laughed…he enjoyed it. I remember how stupid I was for letting what you said bother me instead of being down there when it started. If I hadn't acted so silly I would have possibly been able to prevent Vernon's parents from dying…"

"You give yourself too much credit," James cuts her off. She looks at him. "You're a brilliant Witch, Lily, but you're also human. Not to mention, we were outnumbered for the longest time tremendously."

"All the same, I could have done more and I'll never be able to not regret not being the one to take the curse that was meant for me. I'll never forget how my mum trusted me."

James' blood runs cold. The prospect of Lily being killed that day was too much for him to handle. With Lily comes an aura of happiness and innocence – sometimes naivety – and it is truly unique. This right now though is not Lily. She is not this forlorn and guilty girl.

"You'll never forget," James nods in agreement. "No amount of time can make you forget a loved one's death…but you will heal. It may take months…years for you to come to terms with it but I promise you that it will happen when the time is right."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience," Lily says, scrutinizing him. Now it is James' turn to avert his eyes.

"I had better go find the others, they're probably wondering where I am," James says suddenly. "I'll see you at the feast."

He gets up and hurries out of the compartment to avoid the conversation of his brother. Lily can tell though that he is hiding something because no one can speak from the heart that easily and not have experience a close family member's death. It was not her place to pry though so she gets up and decides to go find her friends.

As she walks down the corridor she can feels eyes on her and whispers following her. She knows she looks dreadful but does everyone have to remind her?

She looks into a compartment on the left and sees Marlene and Margaret talking. The two of them look like they are having a rather serious conversation.

"Lily!" cries Marlene, running up and hugging her.

"Oh, Marlene, I've missed you so much but you're choking me," gasps Lily, and Marlene lets go of her quickly.

"Sorry," she apologizes. "I'm just so glad to see that you're alright and in one piece." Wincing at her choice of words but glad she did not mention her weight loss, Lily sits down.

"Where's Alice?" she asks, abruptly changing the subject. She does not care how obvious it is that she does not want to talk about it and she does not care when she sees her friends exchange a look.

"Lily, are you okay?" asks Margaret.

"_Where's_ Alice?" she repeats.

"Did something happen with James?"

"_Where the hell is Alice?"_

"Wait, you were with James?" asks Marlene surprised.

"Yeah, Sirius told us that he left him once he found Lily," replies Margaret.

"Does that boy have _any_ tact?"

"If he does it is not apparent."

"I don't think I've met anyone less serious."

"Amen to that."

"GUYS!" cries Lily. They turn to look at her. "You know there _is_ a third person here."

"Well you're not answering our questions," says Margaret.

"Neither are you," counters Lily stubbornly.

"Alice went to visit Frank," says Marlene smirking. "Your turn."

Lily scowls. She does not want to talk about what happened this summer or that Potter had been surprisingly nice to her. He had probably only decided to be nice though when he saw how she looked. Most likely he had been looking for her so he could harass her.

"It's nothing," she mutters irritably. "Potter and I were just talking in a compartment about what happened at the wedding and I would rather not talk about it anymore."

Her friends wisely dropped the subject and Lily looks out the window at the passing scenery. Right now it is farms and farm animals that are whizzing by so quickly that she is becoming a little nauseous. She does not tear away her gaze though so she does not see her friends exchange another concerned glance.

They spend most of their time after that gossiping and talking about people who have started dating over the summer and at the end of last year. They talk about this until the Witch with the trolley comes.

"I can't believe Kristina Daniels and Brite Webster broke up!" exclaims Margaret.

"I know, I heard he called her a slut when he found out she was cheating on him," says Marlene. The other two girls gasp.

"I mean, I know she's friends with Miranda Harris but…" begins Lily. Marlene groans.

"Don't bring her up. She's bad enough on her own but when she's with Kristina, she's a right bitch."

"You know, I find it hard to believe that you can be so opinionated around us but deathly silent around other people," comments Lily with a coy smile. Marlene blushes and falls silent.

"Especially the guys," adds Margaret. Her eyes widen. "Wait, a second. You don't like -?"

"Of course not!" splutters Marlene. "James is Lily's –"

Lily opens her mouth but Marlene holds up her hand.

"Remus is Margaret's," continues Marlene, and Margaret blushed crimson. "Peter is…Peter and Black is –" She shivers violently and makes a face.

"What's wrong with Sirius?" asks Margaret. "Besides him being an eejit at times he can actually be nice and funny. You two would make a really cute couple." Marlene raises her eyebrows.

"Yeah, and he's worth ten of Potter," adds Lily. "Besides, even though he can be ridiculous, he doesn't disregard the rules and everyone else like Potter has the propensity to."

Marlene shrugs. "Black is Black. He's as dirty and as low as his last name. He practically paints the school red and he's a huge player. As far as I'm concerned James is better than him in more ways then none. It'd take a lot to convince me otherwise."

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" interrupts the Witch with the trolley. Lily and her friends get up and walk over to her.

"I'll take two Chocolate Frogs and a Pumpkin Pasty," says Lily, digging around her purse for some change.

"What a coincidence Evans, just what I wanted to," says James, walking up with his friends. Apparently they cannot wait two minutes before it came to finding them.

Lily rolls her eyes and without another word, she walks into the compartment again. Everyone looks at James who seems troubled.

"What's up with her?" asks Peter.

"Probably the fact that Sirius left her and James alone in a compartment," replies Remus.

"It's not my fault! I had things to attend to!"

"Like what? Harassing me and Margaret?"

Sirius grins. "Exactly." Margaret smacks him upside and head and he whimpers.

"Anyway," she interjects. "What happened between you and Lily? She came back even more downcast than I remember."

James tries not to look as concerned as he is feeling. He had been noticeably downcast when he returned to his compartment but he had not realized that Lily had been so affected by their conversation.

"Nothing," he dismisses. "Nothing happened. We just talked about what happened over the summer and I offered her some advice."

"What kind of advice?" asks Remus interested. James shrugs and once he gets his food, he begins walking back to his own compartment.

The other five watch his retreating figure as Alice walks up to them.

"Hey guys, what's up?" she asks curiously.

All five roll their eyes. "Way too much," they chorus.

The rest of the train ride passes uneventfully. Lily is remaining silent in the corner and Margaret and Marlene are whispering to Alice, filling her in. Alice also has expressed her concerns about Lily's health but the latter ignored it. Alice also told them all about her summer and being with Frank most of the ride to school. This is the part where Lily listen the most, mainly because Alice always listened when Lily would rant and rave about James and Lily knows Frank is important to Alice whether she admits it or not.

"I also heard that there's going to be a new tradition this year," continues Alice. The three girls lean in. "Supposedly we're going to be having a Masquerade in the Great Hall. Since we won't know who anyone is, it's supposed to induce House Unity."

Margaret snorts. "Fat chance. They can fool themselves all they want but no way will Gryffindors suddenly become buddy-buddy with Slytherins."

The other two nod and Lily has to admit that Margaret is right. The result of what went down between her and Severus is saddening but also the truth of what happens overtime when friends are separated.

They spend the remainder of the time talking and five minutes before they are to arrive in Hogsmeade Station, they change into their robes. As she is putting on her robes, Lily realizes that they are a lot roomier than the previous year. Five minutes later the train comes to a stop and, leaving their stuff on the train, they hop off and begin making their way through the crowd of old and new students.

Lily cannot believe how small the first years are. She doubts she was ever that small at eleven but she guesses she had looked like that to the sixth years then. She also cannot believe how big the castle is from this perspective. Its towers and turrets breaking the vast, black night sky. She remembers when she road in the boats up to the castle in her first year and remembers how terrified she had felt. She had just heard Potter and Black talking about the Sorting and how they had wanted to both be in Gryffindor and she could not help but feel nauseous. _What if the sorting hat yelled to the hall that I didn't belong here?_ She had thought. _What if I have to get back on the train and have to be shipped back home?_ Her friendship and sisterhood with Tuney had already suffered severe damage and being home again would not be the same.

"Lily? Lily! LILY!" scream all three girls. Lily's head snaps up sharply.

"Are you all right?" asks Margaret. "We have to get on the carriages." Lily nods and the four hop onto the closet carriage.

The carriages set off automatically towards the steadily approaching castle. Even after going there for the past five years, she can never forget its stunning beauty.

The carriages come to a halt and the girls, and one other by the name of Nadine, hop off and begin walking up the stairs and into the entry hall, leading to the dining hall.

"Feels good to be back, doesn't it?" Lily hears James say.

"Yeah," agrees Sirius. "Do you think the sorting will be long? I'm starving."

"Pads, you just ate about five pounds worth of Chocolate Frogs…"

Lily rolls her eyes and sits down with her friends, waiting for the sorting to begin.

The doors reopen and in walks Professor McGonagall with the timid looking first years. In the front of the line, right after Professor McGonagall, stands a mousy looking boy, not unlike Peter. He seems terrified beyond his wits and looks like he would rather be anywhere but here with all this attention.

Lily sympathizes for him. She had felt the same way when she came, wondering why people could not look somewhere else. She had supposed it had been her flaming red hair and green eyes that attracted the stares. They always did. Back then though, she had Severus by her side. Back then, she felt safe.

They finally make it to the front of the hall and stand before the Head table and Professor Dumbledore.

Professor McGonagall, who has temporarily disappeared, reappears with a ragged old hat and a three-legged stool. She places the stool down and the hat upon it. The first years wait with fear as the elder students wait with anticipation.

To the first years' shock, the hat opens its ripped part, which happens to be its mouth.

_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty but I'm smarter than you think._

_Many years ago four founders lived in harmony and synch._

_Brave Gryffindor and sly Slytherin whose friendship was amazing,_ _And Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw with spirits that were raising._

_Four founders sought a common goal to teach young pupils knowledge,_

_But each would soon have differences on how this would be approached._

_Brave Gryffindor who taught those only where brave dwell at heart,_

_And power hungry Slytherin taught those with thirst to prove themselves._

_Next came witty Ravenclaw who taught those with the sharpest minds,_

_And finally, fair Hufflepuff, who treated them all kind._

_The four founders had an argument and had a brutal falling out,_

_Of all of them, aging Slytherin, decided to leave and go about._

_I know this speech was fairly short but listen carefully,_

_Darkness is descending and it's coming in a hurry._

The whole hall breaks into applause, including the shocked first years.

"I don't think the hat has ever given a warning before," whispers Lily to Alice.

"I know," agrees Alice. "However, I don't think we've ever been in a more dangerous time." Lily nods and turns her attention back front where Professor McGonagall has stood up again.

"Now, when I call your name, you will come up and I will put the sorting hat on your head," she explains. "Then you will be sorted into whichever House you belong."

The hall is quiet, waiting for her to continue.

"Johnson, Nicholas," calls Professor McGonagall.

The scared looking boy trembles up to the stool and sits down. The sorting hat drops over his head and down to his nose. There is a moment of silence and then –

"GRYFFINDOR!" yells the sorting hat.

The Gryffindor table and Lily cheer loudly. Nicholas takes off the hat and runs over to them, a look of relief on his face. He sits down and both James and Sirius pat him on the back. He looks up at them in awe.

"Grace, Mackenzie," reads off Professor McGonagall.

A dark-skinned girl with braided hair walks up to the stool with a determined look on her face.

"Slytherin!" shouts the sorting hat, seconds after the hat touches her head. She smirks and strides over to the cheering Slytherin table.

_Oh well, _thinks Lily. _Better than being somewhere you don't belong._

The sorting continues and Professor McGonagall continues down the list until all the students have been sorted. Once no one is standing, Professor Dumbledore stands up to begin the year.

"There are many important notices to give you this year," he begins, "but now is not the time to do it. All I have to say before we tuck into our delicious feast are four words. Blubber! Jing! Boon! Chi! Enjoy the feast!"

Everyone chuckles appreciatively as he claps his hands and the food appears on the table. Everyone begins shoveling food onto her plate but Lily, however, does not have much of an appetite. In fact, she feels slightly nauseous and instead just drinks some pumpkin juice.

"Evans, why aren't you eating?" asks James. Lily glares at him.

"I happen to not be hungry Potter and unlike you lot I don't _force_ food down my throat," she snaps, and everyone turns to look at her. Lily Evans is known for her short temper when around James Potter but she seems even more touchy this year. Her friends would associate this with the recent death of her mother but not everyone knows that.

"Cool your jets Evans," says Sirius rolling his eyes, and she gives him a look.

"I thought you don't pay attention in Muggle Studies."

"I wake up every now and again."

"You're unbelievable," she says, and returns to shifting her drink around in her hands.

Her friends exchange a look, including the marauders and all of them are wondering the same thing.

What will it take to get Lily back to herself?

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	5. Bargains and Quidditch

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 5 – Bargains and Quidditch

Lily wakes up the next morning at five thirty and groans. She has classes today and knows she will never be there on time if she falls back to sleep. So she gets up and takes a nice hot shower. Once out, she changes into her school robes, grabs a book, and walks downstairs. Thankfully, no one else is there so she is able to sit in her favourite alcove. It gives her a full view of the Quidditch field and the rain, gently dripping down the window.

Right now there are red blurs racing around the Quidditch pitch. The Gryffindors must be practicing for their upcoming game against Slytherin. Both teams look exceptional this year and it is hard to tell the outcome of the game.

As she watches the raindrops racing each other down the window she thinks back to the wedding. She had had a nightmare about it last night where _everybody_ had died before her eyes and she had to face off Voldemort. He had left before they could duel and she was surrounded by a bunch of bodies. She had woken up in a cold sweat and had trouble falling back to sleep after that.

She is still having some trouble coming to terms with the fact that her mum is not going to be sending her owls anymore. She has been writing more frequently to her father though and can tell he is lonely in their rather large, _four person_ house. Both of them are coping though and slowly but surely coming to terms with the fact that Rose is not coming back.

Ready to escape her own troubled thoughts, she quickly dives into one of her favorite Muggle classics, _To Kill a Mockingbird._ Her favourite character is Atticus Finch and she immediately becomes absorbed in the book. She must have been reading for a good hour before she finishes the book.

"Must be a good one," says a husky voice from behind her.

Her head snaps around and she comes almost nose-to-nose with a soaking wet James Potter.

"Potter! What are you doing down here?" snaps Lily.

"Quidditch practice…" he says slowly, and Lily flushes angrily. "We have to practice if we're going to stand a chance against Slytherin."

"Looks like a good team this year," she says grudgingly. He nods and her eyes widen when she sees a pin on his chest. "You're –"

"Hot? Yes, I know," he teases, and Lily realizes she was gaping at him. She turns red and glares at him.

"No, actually, I was going to say that _you're_ Quidditch captain for Gryffindor?" He nods. "Is Dumbledore off his rocker?"

"Perhaps," he snorts. He narrows his eyes at the new book in her hands. "_**Pride and Prejudice**__?_ Man, you've got really crappy taste in literature."

"Sod off, Potter," growls Lily. She happens to really enjoy the novel. "How would you even know the book? It's a _Muggle_ classic."

"My sister," he replies simply.

"I thought you came from an all Pureblood family," says Lily confused.

"I do. However, while me and my other siblings showed magical abilities at a young age, my sister didn't and my parents assumed she was a Squib."

"So?"

"_So_, they sent her to a Muggle primary school but then realized that she was a Witch once she made her friend fall into a poisonous sea urchin tank. They had had a fight."

Lily gasped.

"Yeah, my parents weren't too thrilled explaining the incident to the Principal and to the Dean of Discipline," smirks James. "Anyway, even though she goes to Hogwarts now, two years below us, she still likes to be involved in the Muggle world."

"That's so cool," whispers Lily. "How many siblings do you have anyway?"

"Seven…six actually," James says uncomfortably. Lily looks at him as though he's crazy. "My eldest brother was killed."

Lily's eyes widen in alarm. "I'm so sorry, I had no –"

"How could you?" James says shortly.

"I should have…wait, is _that_ how you were so…for lack of a better term – _knowledgeable_ – about coping with a family death?"

James nods and says, "We were all distraught when the Death Eaters sent us his body – all distorted and mangled. I honestly thought that we would never be able to move past it and its taken a long while to get to where we are today…some better off than others."

Lily stares at him and does not say anything. It is moments like this that she marvels at how genuine James Potter can really be. It is moments like this that he is not his usual arrogant self and a down to earth human being like the rest of them.

If only he could be like this more often then Lily might give him a chance.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The first day of classes had been pretty uneventful. After some practice, Lily was once again at the top of her year and each Professor had awarded her with various amounts of House Points.

There were however, a few things that put a damper on her good day. There were only three words to describe it.

Severus and Potter.

_-Flashback-_

"Lily! No, wait, Lily! Lily, come on!" Severus cries as Lily makes her way to lunch.

Lily does not bother to turn around, recognizing the voice she thought she had known for five years, and quickens her pace. Unfortunately, he has grown taller over the summer and has no trouble catching up to her.

He grabs her arm and spins her around.

"Lily –" he pants. "- Please, listen to me!"

"No! Give me one reason I should listen to you," Lily demands angrily. "It's going to be the exact same answer as last year. I'm sorry Severus, I'm not going to forgive you."

He looks destroyed, utterly ruined. A lot of people are now staring at them and he quickly releases her arm, blushing. This, however, goes unnoticed by Lily or she chooses to ignore it.

"Lily, I'm sorry! It just slipped out! I didn't mean to –"

"It would have slipped out eventually, Severus," Lily says coolly. "Besides, like I said last year, you say it to every other Muggleborn. Why should I be any different?"

Severus seems to be struggling with something. He opens and closes his mouth several times.

"Because we were friends," he says finally. "_Best_ friends."

Lily eyes fill with tears. It had been true. In their classes that they had together, they had almost been inseparable for the first few years. It was only in their fifth year did they become more distant.

"I thought so too," whispers Lily. "Apparently not strong enough to make you get over your status prejudice."

Severus tries to protest. "But Lily –"

"No Severus. I'm sorry." She quickly turns on her heel and abandoning lunch, runs in the opposite direction to her next class.

_-End Flashback-_

The second event was not much better then the former.

_-Flashback-_

In Transfiguration, her last class of the day, professor McGonagall seems to think it a good idea to give them assigned seats. Lily knows no good could come from this.

"Okay…" the professor says, looking around the classroom. "Well this is not going to work. There is no chance that I am going to be able to stand a whole year of Potter and Black next to each other."

"Aw but Minnie, you love us!" cries Sirius, giving her his best puppy dog eyes that wins most girls' hearts. "Besides, we hate each other!"

"Mr. Black, do you honestly expect me to believe that?" asks professor McGonagall incredulously. "And don't call me that ghastly name!" Remus snorts and Sirius glares at him.

"Alright Mr. Black, you can go sit next to Miss McKinnon and Miss Evans you can go sit next to Mr. Potter."

Both Marlene and Lily groan and both Lily and Sirius carry their stuff to their new, (in Lily's case) undesirable seats. Both the guys on the other hand look positively aglow.

"Hey Lilpot," smirks James, running his hand through his hair self-consciously.

"_Don't _call me that," snaps Lily, glaring at him.

"Okay Lily flower."

Lily continues to glare. "Try again."

"Sweet cheeks?"

Lily's glare intensifies. "Keep going."

"Um, Evans?" gulps James.

Lily smirks. "There you go."

Meanwhile, there is another conversation going on at Lily's former table.

"Hey Marley," grins Sirius, sitting down happily.

"_Don't_ call me Marley," growls Marlene.

"Aw, why not?" pleads Sirius. "I could call you worse names."

Marlene snorts. "Like what?"

"Sweet cheeks," says Sirius cheekily.

Marlene groans and watches professor McGonagall as she continues to swap seats. Why her and Lily?

"You're right. Suddenly I'm okay with Marley."

"I thought you'd see it my way. Let's play the question game."

"Somehow I don't think that's what we should be doing in class," replies Marlene, now taking notes. "Plus, I know no good could come from answering your questions."

"Puhleeeeeze," begs Sirius.

"Black," hisses Marlene. "Shut the bloody hell up!"

"Then playyyyy," pleads Sirius, giving her the puppy dog eyes.

Marlene sighs. "Fine. You go first."

Sirius grins wickedly. "Who was your first shag?"

Marlene flushes crimson red. "No way in hell am I replying to that, Black. It is none of your business!"

"You promised! Answer the question!" Marlene glares at him and mutters something incoherent. "Sorry? Didn't catch that."

Marlene continues to glare at him. "Chuck Blaire."

Sirius' eyes bug out. "_Chuck Blaire?"_

Marlene blushes. "Yeah, what's it to you?"

Sirius says, "Nothing, he's just – he's a player!"

"And what are you, Black?"

"Point taken."

Marlene snorts and begins working again. Then she remembers it is her turn to ask. She looks up and realizes that Sirius' eyes are trained on her. She suddenly feels uncomfortable but asks.

"How many girls have you shagged?"

Sirius grins. "I lost count after fifty."

"I didn't even know you could count to fifty," mutters Marlene, and Sirius smirks. She should have known better than to ask this question. It will only prove how shallow he is.

"Are you two taking notes back there?" asks Professor McGonagall.

"Yes, professor," chorus' Marlene and Sirius. Once her back is turned again to the board, however, they proceed in talking.

"So, are you going to answer the question?" whispers Marlene.

"I told you I don't know!"

"Estimate!"

"Agh, fine," says Sirius pensively. "I guess mostly all the girls in Gryffindor except –"

"Me, Lily, Alice, and Margaret," finishes Marlene. Sirius nods. Her eyes widen in disgust. "Oh, that's bloody gross. That means that you and Daniels…" Sirius smirks.

"Jealous?"

"In your dreams Black. Besides, I would never be jealous of that slut. She cheated on her boyfriend!" Sirius suddenly looks uncomfortable. "Don't tell me it was with you!" she hisses.

"Guilty." Marlene just shakes her head a motions for him to continue.

"All the girls in Ravenclaw."

"Hmm…you would have thought they had brains."

Sirius ignores her. "And all in Hufflepuff. None in Slytherin however." He shivers there.

Marlene rolls her eyes. "Are you naturally shallow or do you have to work at it?"

Sirius grins and fixates his attention elsewhere. More specifically, the back of Kristina Daniel's head.

Now, back to where Lily and James are sitting…

"Hey Evans," whispers James.

She ignores him.

"Psst, Evans," whispers James urgently.

She still ignores him and continues taking notes.

"PSST, Evans," whispers James a little louder.

"God damn it! Is there a fly in here?" cries Sirius. The whole class laughs, not including Lily and Marlene or the professor.

"Mr. Black, if you interrupt my class one more time," warns professor McGonagall, "I don't know what I'll do. Mostly all of the files in the cabinet are already designated to you and Mr. Potter. I'm running out of punishments."

Sirius grins. "Looks like you'll just have to give up."

"_Or_ I can come up with new and more dreadful punishments."

Sirius groans and turns to James, "Thanks a lot, Prongs."

James grins and turns back to Evans.

"Psst, Evans!" whispers James again.

This time, Lily slams down her quill.

"_What?"_

James grins wider. "Hi." Lily looks at him incredulously but decides not to respond. He taps her shoulder and she looks up irritated.

"Is this another stupid comment?"

James thinks for a second. "Not for me."

Lily sighs. "What?"

"Will you go out with me?"

Lily's blood boils. Every time she thinks he is actually a decent bloke he always proves how he is not. When will he get it through his thick skull that she is _not_ interested?

"NO!" Lily cries, louder than intended. The class turns around to face her, as does professor McGonagall who looks scandalized.

"Miss Evans! _Please!"_ she cries, clutching her heart.

"Dramatic much?" mutters James. Lily elbows him hard and he grunts.

"That's it. The next person to talk is being sent straight to Professor Dumbledore's office," says professor McGonagall, glaring at them as if to dare test her. "Understood?"

The class nods and Lily gives James a dirty look before returning to her work. From over her head however, James sees Sirius give him a thumbs up.

James grins and rests his cheek in his palm and stares at Lily like he does every Transfiguration class.

_-End Flashback-_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Later that night as the common room is gradually emptying, Lily notices that it is only she, Alice, Marlene, Margaret, and the guys left.

Without warning, she feels a pair of hands go over her eyes.

"Who's there?" asks Lily warily.

"It is I, sir Padfoot, newly dubbed Marauder in the making," says Sirius in a very fake voice. "Pleased to meet you, m'lady."

Lily rolls her eyes and elbows him in the stomach. There is a grunt and suddenly she can see again. She turns around to see Sirius lying on the floor.

"Aw, did poor wittle Sirius – arrgggh!" He grabs the leg of her chair and tips her over on top of him.

"Ooh, what do we have here?" asks James from above them. He approaches closer with Remus and Peter behind him.

Sirius grins. "Appears to be that I'm stealing your lady, Prongs."

James turns red and Lily glares at Sirius, getting up from his chest.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," she says angrily. "Let's get one thing straight. I am _no ones_ lady."

Sirius snorts. "If you say so. PMS much?"

Lily grins sweetly. "Actually I'm not due for another three weeks."

Everyone else laughs hysterically except Sirius who looks gobsmacked.

"So, who are these Marauders?" asks Alice.

Remus grins. "Long story. We'll spare you the details and tell you in some History of Magic when we're really bored." James and Sirius gape at him.

"Ickle Prefect going to not take notes in class?" gasps James, ruffling Remus' hair. "They grow up so fast!"

Sirius however, says nothing, too thunderstruck to speak.

"The truth hurts," smirks Marlene. She still has not forgiven him for making her tell him who her first time was with.

"Yeah, plus I think he got more than he bargained for," snorts Peter. Everyone laughs and James tries to snap Sirius out of his reverie. It does not work.

"I have an idea," smirks Lily. She stands up and walks next to Sirius. She leans over to where his ear is.

"What are you going to do?" asks Margaret apprehensively.

Lily puts her finger to her lips to say "be quiet". She takes a deep breath and then yells:

"SIRIUS YOUR MOTHER CALLED AND SHE ORDERED SEVERUS TO KISS YOU TOMORROW ON THE LIPS IN FRONT OF THE GREAT HALL!"

Sirius jumps about a foot and growls like a dog looking for his prey.

"Damn, that's a good dog impression," remarks Margaret. "It almost sounded life-like."

Sirius grins sheepishly. "You know what they say –"

"No, what?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. I was hoping you did."

Everyone laughs again and bids each other goodnight, walking up to their dorms for a good nights sleep.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The first month and a half of school is over. Lily is healing a little more every day and her friends can see the improvement. She has even gained some of her old weight back.

All was peaceful and relatively mellow until…

"ALICE! MARGARET! MARLENE!" shrieks Lily one morning at around six o'clock.

She runs up the girls' dormitory stairs loudly and opens her door with a slam.

"HELP!" she shouts again. Margaret jumps about a foot and smacks her head on the roof of her bed.

"Shit!" she curses furiously. "Lily, what the hell was that for? What's wrong?" Lily grins. Then her grins fades and her frantic look reappears.

"Alice! Wake up!" cries Lily, shaking her best friend. She then runs over to Marlene.

"Marlene! Help!" Alice and Marlene groan and sit up.

"Lily, what in the world could you want at…_six o'clock in the morning?"_ growls Margaret.

Lily smiles sheepishly. "Madam Pince rearranged the library and now I can't find any of the books I need and it's not right!" Her friends stare at her incredulously.

"_That's_ why you woke us up at this ungodly hour?" cries Marlene. "What the hell?"

"Sorry," apologizes Lily. "Hey, isn't there a Quidditch Match today? Gryffindor vs. Slytherin?"

Margaret slaps her head. "Oh, damn! I forgot. I promised Remus I'd help him commentate!" Lily grins at her covertly and Margaret gives her a dirty look.

"What?" asks Marlene. Margaret looks at Lily and sighs.

Lily breaks into song, "Remus and Margaret, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!"

Margaret blushes and the other girls' eyes widen.

"You like Remus?" whispers Alice, looking over at Dorcas' sleeping figure.

Margaret nods, also nervously looking over at Dorcas.

"Ever since our third year," she mumbles. "But it doesn't matter because he doesn't like me like that." Lily rolls her eyes.

"We should probably get dressed. The match will be starting in about an hour and a half." The girls groan.

"Thanks again for waking us up, Lily," says Margaret irritably.

Lily grins. "What are friends for?"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

An hour later, Lily and her friends walk into the Great Hall sporting their Gryffindor clad uniforms and make their way over towards the Quidditch Team.

"Hey," greets Margaret cheerfully. She had gotten over her early rising once Lily offered to curl her hair in honour of her commentating the game.

"Hey," replies Remus. "Your hair looks nice." Lily, Marlene, and Alice smirk and Margaret smiles bashfully.

Remus turns back to James. "Prongs, come on, you need to eat today! You're captain for Merlin's sake!"

Marlene raises her eyebrows. "You're the captain?"

James nods mutinously and says nothing else.

"He's worried that if they lose no one will ever forget that he is the captain that led them to their downfall," explains Remus, vouching for James.

"That's ridiculous!" cries Alice. "James, you've got the best team ever! Gryffindor has almost never had a better chance of winning this year!"

Lily looks over at Sirius. She nudges Marlene, who looks over at him with raised eyebrows.

"Aren't you on the team too?" asks Lily.

Sirius looks up from his food and nods, his mouth too full to speak. Lily looks revolted.

"Then how come the whole team had barely touched half a scone and you've practically eaten the whole west coast?"

Sirius snorts and spews food all over James. James still does not budge.

"Moony, can you please wipe that food off me?" asks James distantly.

Remus sighs and picks up a napkin from the table, wiping James' face clean like his mother would.

"Anyway, Black doesn't eat," says Marlene, "he inhales."

"Says the queen of all food and crap," retorts Sirius.

The seven gasp, James included. They all know Marlene's weight is a touchy subject with her (even though she is completely average for her height) and know not to bring anything like that up. Even Peter is staring at Sirius with his mouth-hung open. It is very disgusting actually, considering he has food in it.

Marlene's eyes fill with tears and she bends her head down so her long, blonde hair covers her face.

"Padfoot, that's harsh," hisses Remus. Sirius snorts.

"Maybe Miss 'I-Know-All' won't make smart remarks to me then next time." Remus sighs again and continues eating his breakfast.

"Come on Marlene, just ignore him," comforts Margaret. "It's just Sirius being an _arse_ again," she says loudly.

"I heard that!" calls Sirius.

"You were meant to!"

Just then James decides he might as well go out and check the conditions and him and the team all get up. There is a round of applause from the three house tables and boos and hisses from the Slytherins. They place their brooms over their shoulders and walk out.

"Come on, let's go," says Remus to Margaret. Margaret nods and they walk out. Lily notices that Dorcas is watching the two of them with narrowed eyes and Lily gets an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. She has a feeling something is going to definitely happen between Margaret and Dorcas and it is not going to be pretty.

"Let's go. Hopefully we'll be able to get good seats," Lily says to Alice, Marlene, and Peter, pushing the uneasy thoughts out of her mind.

The three nod and they head out after their Quidditch team.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"IT'S 170-10 SLYTHERIN!" screams Remus.

Gryffindor is being annihilated and tempers are running high. Sirius has already punched a Slytherin Beater in the nose _twice_ for hitting a Bludger at their Seeker.

"And Gryffindors captain James Potter in possession of the Quaffle!" cries Margaret. "He passes to McKean…oh no! McKean drops the Quaffle and Slytherin Chaser Avery catches it."

The Slytherin supporters are screaming like lunatics, almost as much as the Gryffindor supporters were hissing.

"Avery passes to Mulciber who is making his way up to the Gryffindor hoops…come on Wood!" yells Remus. "An amazing save from Gryffindors very own Keeper Jonathon Wood!"

The Gryffindor spectators cheer and the Slytherins groan.

Meanwhile, down by four particular sixth years, none of whom are watching the game anymore, someone erupts in laughter.

"Oh! What does a blonde say when the pizza guy asks, 'would you like six or twelve piece pie?'" asks Peter.

"I have a feeling I'm not going to like this," mutters Marlene. She happens to be a blonde, herself.

"I don't know, what?" asks Lily, humouring Peter.

"Six please! I could never eat twelve!"

Alice and Lily fall into a fit of giggles. Marlene, however, scowls unappreciatively. After the first five she began to get annoyed.

"Oh, I got a good one," says Lily, and Marlene gives her a warning look. "So a guys comes home and says to his wife, 'pack your bags honey, I won the lottery!' and she says 'oh, terrific! Where should I pack for, Japan or France?' and he says, 'I don't give a shit! Just get the hell out!'"

Marlene, Alice, and Peter howl with laughter, much to the annoyance of those around them who are actually watching the game.

"That's a good one!" cries Peter. "Oh, I've got another blonde one!"

"What's with all the blonde ones?" cries Marlene. "Can't you be any more original?"

Peter smirks. "I've got a really stupid one that's _not_ about blonde's that my grandfather who's a Muggle told me."

"What is it?" asks the girls.

"Yes, please tell," pleads Marlene. Peter grins.

"Okay, why did the elephant tip-toe past the medicine cabinet?"

"So he wouldn't wake the sleeping pills!" squeals Lily. "That's the only joke _my_ grandfather knows."

"I don't get it," says Marlene and Alice. Peter and Lily just shake their heads in amazement.

"Oh!" cries Margaret suddenly. Everyone, including the four, suddenly look up to see Gryffindor Seeker, Paul Truman and the Slytherin Seeker, Jerry McConroe go into a dive.

"NO!" shouts James. "TRUMAN, WE NEED TO BE 20 POINTS AHEAD AT LEAST TO WIN!" But apparently Truman did not hear him because just then, he lunges out and grasps his hand around the Snitch.

"And it's 170-160! Slytherin wins!" Remus and Margaret cry dejectedly. They exchange a dark look when they notice James' expression.

The Slytherins cheer as they descend onto the pitch and the Gryffindor team come down slowly, looking depressed.

"Oh dear, Potter doesn't look happy, does he?" comments Lily, pointing to James. She is right. James looks anything but happy. They can see him patting his team on the back and walking with a hunch to the changing rooms. Making a split second decision, Lily begins running after him.

"Lily, where are you going?" yells Marlene.

"I'll meet you guys in the common room!" Lily calls back, pushing her way through the throng. Once out, she makes her way into the empty changing room. That is, empty except for James.

"Hey," says Lily. James looked up surprised.

"Hey," he says, then his face clouded over again. "What are you doing in here?"

"I just wanted to say good game," says Lily evenly. "You guys did your best and Slytherin just happened to have a good team this year too." James scowls at the wall.

"They had a brilliant team. We were no competition for them."

Lily shakes her head, at loss of what to say. It is then that she realizes that James is only in his boxers and finds herself, much to her disdain, staring at him. She notices for the first time how toned he is from Quidditch and that he has incredibly large muscles. He looks _amazing_.

"Lily? You still with us?" asks James concerned as he puts on his pants and a shit.

Lily snaps her head up, worried that he caught her staring. To her relief though, he does not comment on it if he did notice. "Yeah, sorry. I just – spaced out there for a moment."

James smirks. "Apparently." Lily scowls. "Aren't you cold?"

Lily cocks her head to the right and then realizes she is cold. She shivers and says nothing.

"Come on, let's go to the kitchens," suggests James. He wraps an arm around her and she does not object, mostly because he is so warm right now. She is also still in a daze from seeing him almost completely naked.

Lily raises an elegant eyebrow. "Why not the common room?"

James gives a half-energetic smile. "I'm kind of not in the mood for depressing talk and moping around."

Lily nods. "Okay, but it's _not_ a date." James grins and they make their way slowly up towards the castle talking about the game.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"The usual please, Hokey," says James as they enter the kitchen. The tiny elf with big ears bows and runs off to get the "usual" while others set a table for both James and Lily.

"'The usual'?" laughs Lily. "How often do you come here?"

"Every once in a while when I feel like a midnight snack," says James, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Mr. Potter has come forth the kitchens four times a week for the past two years," squeaks a female elf this time. Lily looks at him incredulously.

"I'm a growing boy," says James defensively. "I need my big boy food." Lily snorts.

"That's the understatement of the day." She wonders how someone who eats so much food can be so fit. She then attributes it to the fact that he plays Quidditch.

James sticks out his tongue just as a queue of elves came forth with a buffet of so much food that Lily is speechless. Half of it she has never seen, heard, or tasted before in her life.

"This is the _usual?"_ gasps Lily. James shrugs.

"Think of it this way. Sirius and I eat about ten times our weight, Peter eats anything that doesn't eat him first, and Remus…well, he's just usually hungry at certain times of the month," he finishes lamely, shifting uncomfortably.

Lily leans forward and looks at James seriously.

"Potter, can I ask you something?"

James nods uncertainly.

"Potter, is Remus a werewolf?"

James' eyes widen considerably. Obviously whatever he had been expecting her to ask that was not it. He leans back in his chair nervously.

"That's not really my secret to tell," he says, and then mentally kicks himself. He never really has gotten an outstanding in the arts of subtlety.

Lily grins and contains her laughter. This does not go unnoticed by James.

"What's so damn funny?" he demands.

Lily bursts out laughing. "Oh Potter, you should have seen your face! You looked like a dear in headlights. Do you honestly think I care what Remus is or rather, what he turns into once a month?"

James looks at her with a mixture of shock and admiration. He knows Lily is not the prejudiced type, especially considering she is a Muggleborn and most of the Wizarding Worlds' prejudice is aimed at her, but he is still shocked. He has seldom met anyone who is so good, pure, and against social prejudice. Well, that is not including his late brother John, of course, but…

"Potter?" says Lily uncertainly. He looks up surprised. "Are you going to tell Remus?"

"Tell me what?" asks a voice. They spin around to see Remus standing in the portrait hole of the fruits.

Lily allows herself a sideways glance out of the corner of her eye at James. He looks once again like a deer in headlights. She probably would have laughed if the situation was not so serious.

"Plus, what are you two doing here together?" asks Remus suspiciously. "Usually you're not able to stay in the same room for more than two minutes without biting the others head off."

Lily says, "I think the real question is, what are you doing here?"

Remus shrugs. "I was – erm – hungry."

"Because your furry-little-problem is tomorrow evening?"

She hears James take a sharp intake of breath and sees Remus stiffen.

"What do you mean?" he asks curtly. Lily gives him a look.

"Remus, please don't insult my intelligence. I know you're a werewolf." Remus' eyes cloud over and he turns abruptly towards James.

"Did you tell her?"

James looks alarmed. "Of course not! How could you even think that?"

"I just had to check." He turns back to Lily. "How'd you find out?"

"It wasn't that hard," replies Lily. "Missing around the same time once a month, your nickname, the scars, even though you claimed you were going home to see your 'sick' mother you came back looking like the sick one, and – Severus has always had his suspicions."

Remus gives a very animalistic growl. Severus and him have never really been enemies but the fact that his friends are the ringmasters in torturing him [Severus] from the beginning, it ensures that there will be some enmity between them.

"I don't care what you are, Remus," says Lily quietly. "I don't care that you happen to have a lycanthropy."

Remus looks at her incredulously. He grabs a free chair and spins it around, sitting on it back first.

"How could you not?" he asks. "People find out about my lycanthropy and they run in the other direction. Do you know what my greatest ambition in life is Lily?"

Lily shakes her head, her eyes turning sad.

"My greatest ambition is to get a job. People are so prejudiced about werewolves that no one is going to want to hire me. And who can blame them? I'd be out once a month and a danger to all of my coworkers."

Lily wants to cry upon hearing him say that. It is horrible, all of this prejudice. She does not see what is wrong with werewolves. Sure, there were some bad ones out there like Fenrir Greyback but who is to say there are not some unfortunate people who just happen to turn into a beast once a month? Unfortunately, most people do not think that way. It is worse than being ostracized because you are a Muggle or Muggleborn.

She reaches out and grabs Remus' hand and squeezes it. He averts his eyes from her.

"Remus look at me," she says sternly. "_Look_ at me." Reluctantly, he looks into her eyes. "You shouldn't care about what other people think of you. It's not your fault that you got a disease at a young age. No one who has ever met you could even think that you are one. You've got to be the nicest person I've ever known. Trust me, I wouldn't be your friend if you weren't. Just look at Potter here."

Remus chuckles and James pouts.

"I don't know whether I should be pleased or be insulted."

"Plus, your IQ goes up about five points per minute just by hanging out with them," jokes Lily.

"IQ?" asks James.

"Exactly," smirks Lily. Remus laughs and then returns to his recent solemn state.

"I'm a beast, Lily," he says frankly. He ignores Lily's protests. "I don't care what you might say to disagree but it's true. Please though, please don't tell _any_ of your friends!"

Lily hesitates. She knows Remus will tell others when he is ready and obviously he is not yet. Eventually she nods.

Remus looks relieved, like he almost expected her to lash out at him. He takes a chocolate chip cookie from James and Lily's pile of food.

"You ordered the usual?" James smirks and nods just as the door creaks open again. In comes Sirius and Peter.

"Sup all?" greets Sirius.

"Hey," says James surprised. "What are you two doing down here?"

"The depressing mood in the common room was claimed to be bringing Padfoot down," smirks Peter. "He even thought that if he pantsed Frank Longbottom it'd lighten the mood a bit."

Remus looks disgusted while James snorts and Lily throws a well aimed chocolate cupcake at Sirius. He turns in time and catches it in his mouth.

"How the hell is that even _possible?"_ cries Lily. Sirius smirks.

"Language Evans," he says. "Or I might just have to report you to McGonagall."

Lily glares at him. "You've said and _done_ worse."

James snickers. "She's got you there Padfoot." Lily spins around and glares at James too.

"That goes for you too, _Prongs,"_ she says, stretching out the word. Sirius' eyes widen.

"How does she know your name?" he hisses.

"Well you call me it all the time, for one," replies James.

"So?"

"You know I can hear you guys," snorts Lily. They ignore her for once.

"Does she also know that you're -?" he begins to Remus.

"Yes," nods Remus. Lily looks at Peter, but he just shrugs.

"Well, how was I supposed to know?" asks Sirius defensively. "So she knows know that the three of us -?"

"NO, SIRIUS!" cries all three this time. Apparently it is not so vague that Peter cannot read into it in context. "SHUT UP!"

Sirius cowers and hides behind a puzzled Hokey. It is almost amusing to see a boy well over six feet hide behind a barely foot tall elf.

"Are masters and mistress done with their snack?" asks Hokey timidly. James and Lily smile kindly and help Hokey with the plates, even against his protests. Once they sit back down though it seems that Remus is feeling a bit awkward.

"Lily does – erm – know about my 'furry-little-problem'," said Remus, fidgeting with his fingers.

"What? How?" gasps Peter.

"Apparently it wasn't that hard," says Remus darkly. Lily quickly intervenes.

"For me that is," she says hastily. "It's not like anyone else knows. I haven't told any of my friends and I don't intend to."

Sirius and Peter nod slowly, taking in the new development.

"So, one more person knows," says Sirius awkwardly. "What is that? The four of us, Dumbledore, your parents...that's it, right?"

Now it is Lily's turn to shift uncomfortably.

"Well –" she says nervously.

"What?" asks Remus sharply. "Does someone else know?"

"Well, not _exactly,"_ says Lily.

"Then what?" asks James curiously.

Lily sighs. "Severus has his suspicions were you go every month." James and Sirius growl but Remus just looks wearier.

"Right, well it's not like he has any leads so we should just leave it alone for now," he suggests. Lily nods and notices that Potter and Black look like they would rather dispose of the problem "personally".

"Honestly, guys, calm down," implores Remus. "It's not like any of you would betray me and let him find out!"

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A/N: Please review! In case you are confused, I combined this chapter and the next one to make a longer one for you guys. I might do that with a couple others since some are short like the original chapter five (only eight pages!).


	6. Friends and Pickups

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 6 – Friends and Pick-ups

Lily stays true to her word. She has not told her friends about anything of her conversation with the guys. However, they have not asked where she had been so technically she is not lying to them. However, she does not enjoy keeping anything from her friends. After all, they are all she has at Hogwarts. It is not like she has a sister who cares about her anymore and her mum is gone now because of _her_…

"Lily, are you okay?" asks Margaret that Monday night. "You've been pretty quiet for the past ten minutes."

Lily looks up from her Potions essay she has been attempting to finish, but that she has been staring at blankly for apparently the past ten minutes.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she says automatically. She did not realize that she had blanked out for so long. "I guess I'm just tired."

"Well prepare to become more awake," says Sirius, walking up and sitting on her armrest. "Master marauder is here."

"Are you going to tell us what the stupid name means?" mutters Marlene. Sirius smirks.

"I would, love, trust me I want to," he said sincerely, and she blushes, "but that would be going against the marauder code."

Alice gives him a weird look. "The marauder code?"

Sirius nods. "A code made up by Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs."

"So in other words; Remus, Peter, you, and Potter?" says Lily, raising her eyebrows. Sirius nods again. Then his eyes widen.

"I've said too much!" he squeals. He jumps up from the armrest and runs up the boys' staircase.

Marlene says, "Finally, I thought he'd never leave!"

"I heard that!" Marlene rolls her eyes and the other girls laugh.

"Why do you hate Sirius so much?" asks Margaret. "He can be really nice."

"No! Don't say that!" cries Lily.

"Why not?" asks Alice confused.

"It'll boost his ego even more than Potter's!" They hear a snort from the boys' staircase and turn swiftly around.

"Can we help you?" asks Margaret, her voice full of amusement.

James smirks. "No, no. I wouldn't want to interrupt your very _fascinating_ conversation. Please, continue."

Lily narrows her eyes. "Go away, Potter. What we talk about is none of your business."

"And here I thought we were having a nice spell," says James, crossing his arms, annoyed.

Lily crosses her arms too and says, "So did I but you constantly give me reasons to regret thinking that. Now why don't you go run off to your fellow _marauders._"

James blanches. "SIRIUS ORION BLACK, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU AND THEN CHOP YOU INTO A LITTLE JELLYBEAN!"

The whole common room hears an almighty shriek from the boys' dormitories and laughs as James bounds upstairs.

"This ought to be interesting," says Lily thoughtfully, watching him go.

Margaret, Marlene, and Alice all laugh. Once they are done it is Alice who breaks the silence.

"So, are you going to tell us why you hate Sirius so much, Marlene?" she asks. Marlene glowers at her.

"Sure, he's an ignorant, prat. He is a player and he constantly sends mixed signals. He _can_ be nice but he can also be a right git and one minute flirt with you and the next, some slut from his 'fan club'. He compliments you one moment and the next insults you on your worse insecurity." Lily associates the last one with when Sirius insulted her weight and suddenly understands why Marlene dislikes him so much. "There, does that answer it for you?"

"Yes."

"Hey Alice," says Frank Longbottom, sitting on her armrest.

"Oh, look who it is," smirks Margaret. Lily and Marlene burst out laughing as Alice blushes and Frank looks confused.

"Ignore them," mumbles Alice. "They're all _eejits."_

"Are you our leader then?" asks Lily innocently. Alice glares at her.

"Like I said, ignore them. Anyway, what are you doing here Frank? Not that you're not welcome," she adds hastily. Frank laughs.

"James and Sirius are having a – ah – _'discussion'_ upstairs in our dorm."

"I didn't know you shared a dorm with them," says Lily. Frank nodded. "I pity you."

He shrugs. "It's never a dull moment with the two of them," he smirks. "However, once they start wrestling I know it's time to leave."

"How come?" asks Margaret.

"Mainly because lots of confessions come out about either themselves or anyone else in the room," replies Frank uncomfortably. "I thought it best to leave before my secrets become displayed for the whole school. You know how this school is a gossip chain."

All the girls nod. They know for a fact what the gossip chain at Hogwarts is like and are in no way close to forgetting it. They have all been on the receiving end of it at one point or another. Lily more so than the others because of James' constant asking her out.

"So, what secrets will we need to dig up on you now?" teases Marlene.

"I would have thought it was obvious," says Lily, grinning widely. Her eyes went from Frank to Alice and then back to Frank. They both blush furiously. All of a sudden, they hear voices from upstairs.

"Prongs likes Lily-bean!" cries Sirius. Lily groans.

"Sirius enjoys hooking up with Kristina," says James. "OI!"

Lily and her friends make a face and Lily sneaks a look at Marlene. For someone who dislikes Sirius with a burning passion she looks fairly put out. Perhaps there is something she is not telling them…

"Prongs enjoys to masturbating every night!"

Everyone in the common room either gags or chuckles uncomfortably.

"SIRIUS LIKES –" begins James but cannot finish. Lily interest peaks now. He enjoys hooking up with Kristina but he likes someone else?

"REMUS LUPIN IS A –" begins Sirius, and Lily looks horrified.

They hear an explosion from upstairs and then silence.

The five exchange a puzzled look and then shrug, returning to their homework, however, two of them with less concentration.

_Beforehand…_

**Sirius POV**

Sirius shrieks and runs into the bedroom.

"Quick, Moony, hide me! I don't have much time!" he cries, jumping up and down like he is about to pee. "Prongs is going to kill me!"

Remus rolls his eyes. "I'm sure you're exaggerating." Sirius shakes his head. "Oh come on, face him like a man!"

"_You're dead_ SIRUS!" calls James' voice.

Sirius shrieks high-pitched again and dives under Remus' bed.

"Very manly," mutters Remus, putting his nose back in his book and making sure to put more of his weight down on his bed.

**James POV**

James pounds up the staircase furiously. He is going to _murder_ Sirius…

"_You're dead_ SIRIUS!" he calls up the stairs.

**Third Person Omniscient**

James kicks open the door and hears scuttling on the ground but all he sees is Frank on his bed relaxing and Remus with his nose in _another_ book. At least this time it is a _Quidditch_ one.

"Where's Sirius?" asks James through gritted teeth.

Remus shrugs nonchalantly. "Dunno."

James scans him up and down. He looks stiffer and has more defenses up than usual.

"You're lying," says James simply. "Moony, you're one of my best mates, I can tell when you're lying."

Remus sighs and points under his bed. James gets down on his knees and crawls over to his bed.

"BOO!"

There is a muffled shriek and a thump.

_"SHIT!"_ cries Sirius, coming out and rubbing the back of his head.

"Why the _hell_ did you tell Evans and her friends about our new nickname?" growls James, ignoring Sirius' winces of pain. Remus' eyes widen.

"You _told_ them?" He shakes his head. "Prongs, I give you my blessing in killing him." James smirks and Sirius looks at him in horror.

"I ran off after realizing what I said though. We could always Obliviate them." James and Remus give him a look. "Hey, in my defense, I rarely think before I come out with ideas."

"Apparently," mutters James.

"All right, I have a new rule," says Remus. "You have to wait at least ten seconds before replying or saying something to someone. During those ten seconds you have to think if what you're going to say is appropriate/important/not classified information."

"You know I'd look like I right git, though?" says Sirius. "Imagine, Prongsie here walks up to me one day and says: 'Hey Padfoot.' What am I going to do, wait ten seconds and then say 'hey' back?"

"You're an exception, Sirius," says James. "You need to wait at least an hour."

Simultaneously they lunge at each other and tackle each other to the ground. It is hard to tell the outcome of the wrestling match because both are strong.

"And that's my cue to leave!" says Frank, hastily jumping up from his bed. "This might get ugly." He runs out of the room and slams the door shut. Remus slaps his forehead.

James and Sirius are now rolling around on the ground screaming out secrets. Thankfully they are not loud enough for anyone downstairs to hear. Yet.

"Prongs likes Lily-bean!" cries Sirius.

"Sirius enjoys hooking up with Kristina," says James. Sirius punches him in the stomach. "OI!"

"Prongs enjoys to masturbating every night!" Remus gags. It is only a matter of time before something serious slips.

"SIRIUS LIKES –" begins James again but Sirius punches him again in the stomach. As far as Sirius knows, he does not like anyone more than a one-night shag but James tends to know who he likes before he does. Making sure he does not yell it out to the entire Tower is beneficial for both him and the girl he may or may not like.

"REMUS LUPIN IS A –" begins Sirius, and Remus, being a quick thinker, emits a loud cannon sound from his wand. He hears the entire common room go temporarily quiet and is glad that no one heard anything.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"What in _Merlin's name_ happened last night?" demands Lily the next morning in Charms class. She takes the empty seat next to Remus, which unfortunately is behind where Potter and Black are sitting.

Remus winces. "I've been getting that all morning. How much did you all hear?"

"From the Prongs liking me to the masturbating to the almost Remus slip," says Lily. She looks at him seriously. "Do you know how close you cut it before you let off that cannon?"

Remus nods. "Sirius just doesn't know how to shut the _hell up_. He's been apologizing all morning but I'm still a bit pissed at him."

Lily nods. "Understandable. However, you shouldn't hold this over him. Even though he almost made a _ridiculously_ stupid mistake, you shouldn't hold it over him. He's one of your best friends."

Remus nods. She is right. If it had not been for Sirius and James and Peter he would not have _any _friends.

"I still can't believe that you became friends with such prats though," laughs Lily. Remus however, looks serious.

"Did I ever tell you the official story? Not the one where I always joined them since someone need to have a touch of reality?" Lily shakes her head and waits interestedly. "It was our first year at Hogwarts and I had come about a week late," begins Remus. He lowered his voice. "My scars were still visible which made many people reluctant to come too close. No one wanted to pair up with me for projects or assignments and certain teachers wouldn't even call on me."

"Then came along James and Sirius. James said he'd do a project with me for D.A.D.A and you wouldn't believe how glad I was not to work alone for once. Well, James and I worked a lot at night and on weekends and we got closer, friend-wise that is. He started inviting me to hang with him and Sirius, this was before Peter came into the picture."

"Well, Sirius was a little awkward with me being there. We weren't the best off in the beginning. A few weeks later however, I was able to get James and him out of trouble. Well, it was brotherhood from them on, any farther and we would have gotten married! Then Peter joined us and the two that had become three had now become the four musketeers. Even after they found out about my furry-little-problem they didn't leave me. I had never been happier."

Lily was quiet through this whole sermon-like discussion. It warms her heart to hear about such close friends. Even though she dislikes Potter for all he had done for her, he really is a terrific friend, no denying it.

"That's really sweet," says Lily quietly. "I've never known such a group of close-knit guys that stand up for each other." To both her surprise and Remus', she has tears glistening in her eyes.

Remus smiles and rubs her arm comfortingly. Out of the four marauders, he is the only one who can manage to comfort a girl. James, Sirius, and Peter are hopelessly doomed when it comes to weeping girls.

Just then, James and Sirius turn around after having a hushed conversation. They both observe Lily and then Remus.

"You told her about our first year," says James. It is not a question. Remus nods. "Best year ever."

Sirius nods in agreement. "Especially during the Halloween feast when we bewitched the pumpkins to fall on the Professors and Flitwick jumped into Hagrid's arms."

"Please turn around class," squeaks Professor Flitwick from on top of his stack of books. "And Mr. Black, for your information, it was Professor Dumbledore's arms who I jumped into, not unlike yourself."

Sirius flushes and the whole class laughs, Marlene the loudest. Professor Flitwick is now her favourite teacher by far.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

That night in the common room is a quiet one unlike most others. It is just the Marauders, huddled around the fire and Lily and her friends, sitting in their special alcove. All is peaceful until…

"Marley, you looking forward to Transfiguration tomorrow?" calls Sirius, from across the room.

Marlene looks up sharply from her Charms homework and ignoring her friends' confused stares, glares at Sirius.

"What do you want Black?" she sneers. "Have no one else to have a go at?"

"Not since Snivelly's in another House," he smirks. Now it is Lily's turn to give him a dirty look. He never learns does he? Sirius then turns back to his parchment, leaving Marlene very confused.

"What in Merlin's name was that about?" asks Margaret.

Marlene shrugs and says, "Black being an arse – per the usual. I can't believe McGonagall paired me up with that twat."

The other girls grin and begin scribbling notes again. They do this for another five minutes before being interrupted again.

"Hey Lily-bean, what's up?" asks Sirius, walking over to them.

Lily holds up her Astronomy Chart. "Homework. Don't tell me _you're_ done! Of all people?"

Sirius snorts. "No, I still have a Potions and Charms essay, two star charts, and a scroll due for Muggle Studies."

Margaret looks at him incredulously. "That's all due _tomorrow_."

Sirius shrugs. "It'll get done. It always does."

"Why do you even _take_ Muggle Studies?" asks Alice, having not been there for when he explained it over the summer. "I never thought you were interested in Muggles."

"I'm not but it pissed my parents like hell."

They all laugh as James, Remus, and Peter wander over.

"Alright, Evans?" smirks James, running his hand through his hair.

She glares at him. "Well your hair, for one, is up as usual. Not that I'm surprised."

Remus snorts and sits down next to Margaret who turns slightly pink and makes room.

"So, who wants to play a game?" asks Sirius, breaking the awkward silence.

"What kind of game?" asks Lily warily.

"The Sirius Black Game."

"Is it the date 'em, drop 'em game?" sneers Marlene. Alice and Margaret suppress a giggle but Lily frowns slightly.

Sirius pointedly ignores her. "Aka the Pick-up game."

"Oh, not _this_ game," moans James. "This is the worst game in history!"

"No, there was that other game," points out Peter. "The one where if you answer a question wrong you have to –"

"NO!" cries James and Remus. "Do _not_ remind him of that game!" Comprehension dawns on Sirius' face.

"Yes, well, there are lady's here and they might find it hard considering they don't have the proper _equipment,"_ smirks Sirius. "I'm always happy to lend them the necessities, however."

The other Marauders groan and the girls, discovering what he meant, each smack him on the arm.

"You're so perverted, Sirius!" shrieks Alice. "I pity the girl who falls for you!"

"You never know, Miss-Right might be right under my nose," says Sirius, winking at Marlene. Marlene flushes and glares at him.

"Anyway, the point of the game is to go around and tell any pick-up line you can think of. Doesn't matter how lame or not lame it is. You throw this ball –(he transfigures a pillow to a red, plastic ball)- to whomever you want to go next. You can't keep throwing it back and forth to the same person though."

They all nod, knowing no good could come from this game.

"All right, I'll go first," says Sirius. He clears his throat. "Did you fart? Because you blew me away." They all laugh and he throws the ball to Margaret.

She says, "Can I take a picture of you, so I can show Santa just what I want for Christmas?" She blushes and sends it to Remus.

He said, "Are you lost? Because heaven's a long way from here." He grins at Margaret who, to her friends' amusement, blushes harder and tosses it to Lily who sighs.

"If I could rearrange the alphabet, I would put 'U' and 'I' next to each other." She throws it to Marlene who blushes crimson.

"If beauty were sunlight, you'd shine from a million light-years away." Sirius grins as she passes it to Alice.

"Don't judge me on this one, my brother told me it," says Alice hastily. "If you were a booger I'd pick you first."

They cringe and Sirius interjects.

"Now, the first person to pause is eliminated and we go from there." They nod and continue.

"Hi, I'm Mr. Right. Someone said you were looking for me," says James, winking at Lily. She rolls her eyes as he passes it to Sirius.

"Hey, you and I have something in common. We both have hot bodies. Wanna fuck me?"

They all laugh as Peter catches the ball.

"My love for you is like the universe...never ending."

"If looks could kill you would be a weapon of mass destruction."

"Excuse me, can you empty your pockets? I believe you have stolen my heart."

"You got something on your chest: my eyes." (**A/N: Two guesses who said that**)

"I'm not drunk, I'm just intoxicated by you."

"Do you want to make millions? Millions of babies!"

"Your so hot when I look at you I get a tan."

"I must be a snowflake, 'cuz I've fallen for you."

"Are you an alien?, because you just abducted my heart."

"Are you as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside?"

"Do you know karate? 'Cause your body is really kickin'."

"Are you a magnet cuz I'm attracted to you."

"If your right leg is Thanksgiving and your left leg is Christmas, can I visit you in between holidays?"

"Merlin! This will never end," moans Lily as the ball zooms past her.

"Do you want to see something swell?"

"Should I call you in the morning or nudge you?"

"I lost my teddy bear, will you sleep with me?"

"Would you like to come over to my place later? You can bring some friends because my face seats five."

"Do you have a mirror in your pocket? Because I can see myself in your pants."

However, the voice did not come from a Marauder or one of the girls. It came from the portrait hole. They all spin around to come face-to-face with none other than Miranda Harris.

"What do you want Miranda?" asks Lily with forced politeness. Lily was never one to put up with Miranda's drama and let her know this from day one. This earned her a lifetime of nasty comments and rude remarks her way.

Miranda smirks and struts over to them. Lily has never known a skirt to be so short and a blouse to be so tight and see-through.

"Oh nothing. I just thought I'd pay a visit to little red riding slut and her little Bo _whores_."

Lily snorts. "You obviously are failing Muggle Studies. You've also got to be wearing your five-year-old sisters shirt and skirt."

Miranda glares at her then bends down right next to James so her panties were visible as well as her cleavage.

"Come on Jamsiepoo, let's go upstairs and sound-proof your bed," she whispers in an attempt to sound seductive. James however, just looks revolted.

"Get out of here Harris," sneers James. "What are you even doing out at this time?"

Margaret snorts. "Probably been up in the Astronomy Tower shagging some unfortunate boy." They all laugh except for Miranda who glowers at Margaret.

"No need to guess who you'd like to jump into bed with," smirks Miranda. "But then again, who'd want to suck your –"

"GET OUT!" screams Margaret, and Remus jumps having been right next to her. The other six look at her shocked. They have rarely ever seen Margaret lose her temper. Usually that spot is reserved for Lily and on occasion Marlene.

"I've seemed to have touched a nerve," jeers Miranda. "See you slut 1 and 2. Bye Jamsiepoo, don't forget my offer." She stands up, making sure to flash and walks up haughtily to her dormitory.

Margaret is glaring at her retreating figure. "That _skank_."

"No kidding," agrees Sirius. "She makes me look tame." They all nod except for Marlene.

"Why was she flirting with you, James?" asks Alice suddenly. "She made it sound like you guys had been together for ages."

James sighs. "We _were_ together for about a week in our fourth year. After that one week I discovered she was cheating on me and dumped her. After her 'significant other' dumped her she came crawling back to me in hopes for forgiveness. Fat chance."

Remus rolls his eyes. "She's probably slept with the whole Hogwarts male population. Well, thank Merlin except for us."

Sirius shifts uncomfortably and Margaret's eyes widen.

"SIRIUS!"

"It was our third year!" exclaims Sirius.

"Hmm…somebody hasn't been walking down the rode of virginity for a long time," smirks Marlene. Sirius glares at her and then smirks.

"Touché." Marlene's eyes widen and she gasps. As do the others.

"WHAT?" they cry. "You've – done the deed with someone and not told us?"

Marlene continues to glare at Sirius who was obviously enjoying every second of this. "I'll get you for this." She sighs. "My first shag was –"

"Chuck Blaire!" Sirius blurts out. If looks could kill Sirius would be six-feet under at this point. "Of Ravenclaw!"

The girls' eyes bug out just as Sirius' had when he first heard.

"Why didn't you tell us?" asks Margaret, clearly hurt.

"I tried last year," says Marlene. "But Lily was going on one of her 'James-Potter-deserves-to-burn' rants. It's hard to get a word in edgewise."

James grins. "Aw, you talk about me, Evans?"

Lily glares at him. "As a matter of fact, I do. I've finally finished writing the book _A Million Reasons Why James Potter Annoys Me: Volume 1."_ She summons a book from her dormitory and drops it directly on James' groin. He winces and lifts up the book, looking at the cover.

"And, I'm giving Sirius, Remus, and Peter the second, third, and fourth volume for when you're done," adds Lily, placing the books gently on the formers laps. James glares at her.

"You're telling me you wrote not one but _four_ novels on how I annoy you?" says James incredulously. Lily nods.

"It wasn't hard, I must admit though I had to add off old stuff for the fourth volume."

"Damn, you must spend a lot of time thinking about me," grins James. Lily chucks an old golden snitch at his groin, but this time he dodges it.

"On that note, I think it's time I duck out," says James, walking quickly to the boys' staircase. "Coming guys?"

Remus nods but Sirius shakes his head. "I'll be up in a bit" was all he says.

Lily yawns. "I'm gonna hit the sack too, I'm beat. Coming guys?" Margaret and Alice nod but Marlene shakes her head.

"Sorry, I still have to finish this damn Transfiguration assignment."

Alice nods. "All right, but if we find any bodies down here tomorrow morning we'll know who the last two people were."

Marlene smirks and watches her friends' retreating figures go up the stairs. However, she does not turn back to her so-called "Transfiguration assignment" and instead turns to glare at Sirius.

"What the hell is your problem?" she hisses.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Marley," says Sirius innocently.

"Don't call me that name, you wanker," she growls. "Why would you tell _my_ friends about _my_ personal business that I told _you_ in secrecy." Sirius sobers up when he realizes how angry she is. However, that does not stop him from making a quick remark back.

"First of all, enough with the dramatics," he says, rolling his eyes. "Secondly, you never told me I had to keep it to myself and I only insinuated about it! They put it together."

"And when I was about to tell them you decided to blurt it out!"

"Yeah, I really should listen to the ten second rule." Marlene looks at him like he has five heads and stands up.

"Why must you treat me like the dirt under your feet?" she cries. He hesitates for a second but then stands up too, which is a much more impressive move seeing as he towers over her.

"That's not true! You're the one who is always making smart comments to me!"

"Touché! Breakfast on the day of the Quidditch Match ring bells? Maybe you being an arse and losing was your karma. You know what they say, karma's a bitch."

Sirius glowers at her but she holds her ground. She does not back down or step back even when he takes a step closer to her.

"It's not my fault that you take everything the wrong way! I was just kidding!" he screams.

"No you weren't!" Marlene screams back. "Just saying 'oh, I'm kidding' or 'oh, I'm sorry' doesn't make things better! _Especially_ if you do them again!"

"Why are you so difficult? I've been trying to apologize here and you're biting my head off!"

"Oh, that's funny," sneers Marlene. "I though that when people apologize they usually start with 'I'm sorry'!"

"You're right! I'm sorry that you're such an insufferable _bitch!"_

"And I'm sorry you're such a pigheaded man whore!"

"Wrench!"

"Son-of-a-bitch!"

"Goody-two-shoes!"

"Rule breaker!"

At first she thinks that he is going to hit her but proving her suspicions wrong, he does the opposite and instead cups his hands around her face and kisses her passionately. She does not pull away or resist and continues kissing him like there is no one else in the world. His tongue enters her mouth and begins silently raiding its corners and crevices. Both of their pink snakes fight for dominance, neither one of them backing down for the longest time.

Finally, they both pull away panting and fingering their now swollen lips. They both stare at each other in shock, not saying anything.

"Erm…" they both say at the same time. They both look around the common room to make sure it is empty. Thankfully it is.

"'Night," says Marlene nervously. "See you in Transfiguration." Sirius nods and watches her run up the staircase. Once she is gone, he sinks into the armchair he had previously been occupying and sighs. He places his head in his palms.

What did he just start?

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Marlene runs up the stairs and once she gets into her dorm, falls onto her bed with a sigh. Thankfully everyone else is asleep so no one can question her tonight. She runs her hands through her hair and undresses, changing into her nightgown. It has been a long day.

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A/N: Please review!


	7. Introductions and Wars

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 7 – Introductions and Wars

"I think for our next prank we should introduce the Marauders in a big way," says James on Hallows Eve.

Remus nods and adds, "We should do it in honour of the Halloween Masquerade tomorrow. Everyone will be hyped up and it'll add to the excitement. Plus, no one will know exactly who did it."

"See, this is why you're our friend, Moony," says James grinning. "All our plans would crash and burn without you."

"Plus, the whole school would probably blow up if I didn't keep you guys in check," he teases.

James laughs. "That too. Hey, Padfoot? You still with us?"

Sirius does not respond and keeps staring at the wall, lost in thought. He has not gotten much sleep for the past week since he kissed Marlene and received a letter from his ex-family. His friends have noticed the significant change but have let it pass when he claimed that he was just tired.

"PADFOOT!" screams the three Marauders. Sirius jumps about a foot like he has been electrocuted and lands with a thump on his chair. He looks around trying to find the source that has caused him to jump. His eyes land on James and he cocks his head to the right like he has never seen him before.

"What?" he asks. James looks at him incredulously.

"What the hell is wrong with you Padfoot?" he asks concerned. "You look like a lovesick puppy. No pun intended."

Sirius gives him a weak grin then fixates his gaze back on the wall. Ever since he spontaneously kissed Marlene he has been doubting himself. He promised himself that after his last fling he would not get attached at risk of ending up hurt. Also, the fact that James had an inkling on who he likes before he did unsettles him greatly. He supposes though that this is what happens when you are best mates with someone for so long and the fact that they are practically brothers.

James sighs.

"What's wrong, Sirius?" asks Remus. "You're only quiet on three occasions: If you're angry, constipated, or crushing on someone."

Peter smirks. "Nine times out of ten it's usually the second one." Sirius shakes his head.

"Well, it's usually evident in your eyes if you're angry and that's typically directed at your family," says James thoughtfully. "They didn't send you a letter did they?"

Sirius nods and hands them a letter from his pocket. "That's the least of my problems, though."

Remus and Peter move over to James so they can read the letter over his shoulder.

_Dear cousin,_

_I am writing to you with only one purpose and that purpose alone is to offer you something. The Dark Lord has insisted on me that I ask you to join his ranks. He is also willing to extend the invitation to your three friends: The Bloodtraitor Potter, Half-breed Lupin, and the Halfblood Pettigrew. He thinks each will be a valuable asset to him. If you are wise you will choose the right side and that is with us. Maybe it will even allow you to reconcile with your family._

_The Dark Lord is expecting your response in due course._

_Your cousin,_

_Bellatrix (Black) Lestrange_

James crumples up the letter and throws it with all his force into the fire. He watches it as it burns and adds to the other black ashes. That is what most of this fire is made up of. Black.

"Did you respond?" asks Remus, his voice even, although he was seething inside. The way Bellatrix referred to him is degrading and obviously the reason Voldemort wants him to join.

"Of course," snorts Sirius grinning. "I told my 'dear' cousin to tell Voldemort that we'd join him as soon as hell freezes over."

James pats Sirius on the back. "So, what are you pensive about then? We already ruled out one and two. Are you crushing on someone?"

Sirius' grins vanished as quickly as it came. He sighs and runs his hand through his hair. He only does that when he is truly agitated. It does so much to his carefree, yet handsome looks.

"It's complicated," mutters Sirius. He looks around the common room and his eyes linger on Marlene for a fraction of second longer. She is studying for a Potions test on her own. "I'm not sure."

James, Remus, and Peter try to follow his gaze but with no avail. There are too many girls in the general direction of Sirius' gaze.

"Well, I'm sure you'll understand soon enough," says Remus comfortingly. "We should finish planning now before it gets any later if we want to be able to put it into action by tomorrow."

The other three nod and return to work, lost in their own jumbled thoughts.

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Morning dawns on Halloween and the Marauders, Lily, and the other Prefects can be found in the Great Hall decorating for the Masquerade.

"What are _you_ three doing here?" implores Lily. "I'm fairly certain only Remus is a Prefect."

James grins. "We're just here to help you guys."

Lily eyes him warily. "Or cause destruction."

Sirius shrugs. "Help…destruct, same difference."

She rolls her eyes and walks away to help a fifth year Hufflepuff levitate pumpkins into the air. He seems to be having trouble and the pumpkins keep exploding.

James watches her retreating figure with a look of lust in his eyes. He is sure that the outfit Lily has on should be ban from Hogwarts. She is wearing a yellow tank top with spaghetti straps, revealing her shoulders. She is also wearing a pair of jean shorts that are on the shorter side, revealing her calves, and her hair is pulled back into a neat ponytail. He cannot help but gasp whenever she reaches up and bit of her lower back is revealed. He also cannot help the blood rushing to the lower region of his body and is thankful that he decided to wear robes today.

"JAMES!" shouts Sirius.

James turns to face Sirius so quickly that he cracks his neck. Rubbing it irritably, he glares at Sirius for interrupting him.

"_What?"_

"If you can tear your eyes off Miss Lily-bean for a moment, maybe you can help us put the plan into action?"

James turns bright red and takes out his wand. He mutters and incantation at the pumpkin and then levitates it. He cannot wait to see the faculty's reaction at dinner before the ball…

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The Prefects and the Marauders work for several more hours before the Head Boy and Girl announce that the hall is ready for tonight. Before James can catch up to her, Lily whisks out of the hall and up to her dormitory where her friends are waiting for her.

He sighs and listens to Sirius babble about how they are all geniuses and how tonight is going to be brilliant. He only wishes that he can get rid of the knowingness that Lily will not appreciate the ball being interrupted by their prank.

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Lily and her friends get ready for the ball with anticipation that evening. They have each ordered their dresses, shoes, and masks from a little Hogsmeade store that was advertised in a magazine. Lily chose on a black, spaghetti strap, sparkly dress that ends a bit above her knees. She observes herself in the mirror and sighs. She had expected the dress to come down a little lower but shrugs it off and is still pleased by the way it looks. She has allowed Alice to straighten her hair for this occasion and once she is done with her make-up, she puts her mask on. It is emerald green like her eyes. Marlene is wearing a red one, Margaret a gold one, and Alice a silver one.

"Why do we have to where make-up if we're going to be wearing masks?" moans Marlene. She has been acting a bit off since that evening where they played the "Sirius Black Game" in Lily's opinion but when asked if anything happened with her and Sirius, she immediately changes the subject or bites their heads off.

"Well, we're not going to be wearing our mask _all_ night are we?" points out Margaret with a goofy look on her face, one that Lily only typically sees on James or Sirius.

Marlene rolls her eyes. "Kind of defeats the purpose of the masquerade, doesn't it?"

The others shrug and walk out of their dormitory and down the girls' staircase. The common room is empty. Lily supposes a lot of people are too excited to wait until it actually starts and went to meet friends from other Houses.

Lily and her friends chat all the way down the staircases, minding to leap over the one with the missing step. Once they come upon the Marble staircase, they see a large queue in front of the Great Hall. There are many people yelling for their friends and large groups of girls fawning over boys who are trying their best to look impressive.

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James is wearing a black mask and dress robes and as he looks up the Marble staircase, he feels his mouth drop. He has never seen anyone so beautiful, and yet so modest, in his life. He knows it is Lily even with her mask on because her image is engraved into his mind forever. He does not even waver his gaze when Sirius slaps him on the back of the head or stamps on his foot. He does notice though how other girls seem to be looking at her with envy. Understandable. She is obviously the most gorgeous girl there.

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Severus Snape's jaw practically unhinges when he sees Lily walking down the Marble staircase. He can never remember seeing anyone so beautiful in his life. Him, in his second hand robes and green and silver mask, cannot believe all the guys gawking at her like pigs. Even _Potter!_ The nerve of him, ogling at his Lily! He can never let _his_ Lily fall for that arrogant bastard! They are total opposites!

"Severus? What are you looking at?" asks his friend Seth Mulcilber. Avery follows Severus' gaze and smirks from behind his mask.

"Still fancying the Mudblood Evans?" he sneers.

"Don't call her that," snaps Severus. "And no, as a matter of fact I don't fancy her," he lies. "Not that it's any of your business."

"It wouldn't do to fall for a Mudblood," says Avery, clearly ignoring Severus' newfound hatred of that word. "The Dark Lord is aiming to replenish the purity of our society. Her, along with Blood-Traitors like Potter and Black, will be the first to go."

"Good riddance to bad rubbish," says Severus, however unconvincingly.

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Lily and her friends walk into the Great Hall a little while later, trying to get to a free table. It is packed and it does not help that her hair is so recognizable, giving her many stares. She never feels comfortable being observed. She is not like Potter and Black who live for that kind of attention and bask in it. She has not seen them so far tonight. She is sure though that she will recognize Potter once she sees his hair.

Once everyone is seated at a table, Professor Dumbledore stands up.

"Good evening, everyone," he greets enthusiastically. Lily notices he has also worn a mask (purple) and has urged the other professors to do so as well. Lily is shocked to see professor McGonagall's hair undone, however. Judging by other students' reactions when they see her, she is not the only one. Most people must have assumed her hair was born in that form. She turns her attention back to Professor Dumbledore.

"I would like to welcome you all to the very first Halloween Ball. I thought it'd be nice with all this gloom going around to have something to look forward to. Furthermore –"

But before he can continue, the pumpkins that have been floating above them begin to lower themselves. Then before anyone could say anything else they bellow:

"THE MARAUDERS ARE HOT! THE MARAUDERS ARE HOT! PLEASE WELCOME, HOGWARTS, MSRS. MOONY, WORMTAIL, PADFOOT, AND PRONGS!" Without warning, the pumpkins then explode. This causes mayhem. People are now dodging under tables and performing spells to protect themselves from the goo dripping out. Thankfully, Lily acts on quick wit and performs a Charm around her and her friends so nothing gets on them.

"SILENCE!" roars Professor Dumbledore. The whole hall is quiet and everyone freezes mid-step. "Thank you to Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Pettigrew for that warm welcome. Or should I send my regards to, _the Marauders?"_

Everyone laughs except for Lily and the few girls that are sobbing over their ruined outfits. Professor Dumbledore waves his wand around the hall and everything returns to its regular state.

"Oh, come on Lils. Loosen up," implores Alice, and Lily scowls.

"Do you know how _long_ it took to levitate all of those pumpkins? I _knew_ they were up to something when they came in to 'help' us today." She looks around but cannot see the Marauders anywhere. They seem to be disguised very well so they will not get in trouble seeing as professor McGonagall cannot find them either.

"All right, well, let the feast begin," says Dumbledore, tucking his beard into his belt and sitting down. Everyone looks around confused on where the food is. It is only when they see professor Dumbledore speak to his goblet and plate that they know what to do.

Menus automatically appear and soon the hall is full of chatter and orders of food.

"Chicken with rice and pumpkin juice," says Lily politely and is amazed when her plate and goblet fill up with food.

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"Pretty amazing magic, eh?" murmurs Sirius, three tables away from the girls. "I wonder what would happen if I ordered Firewhiskey?"

James snorts. "Try."

"Firewhiskey," orders Sirius. Without warning, his goblet floats above his head and smacks him on the head before floating back down again. The other marauders roar with laughter.

"Should have realized Dumbledore wouldn't allow us to have it," mutters Sirius. Remus rolls his eyes and looks at him and Peter in distaste as they keep adding more and more food to their plates.

"Don't you ever get full?" Sirius shakes his head, his mouth too full to respond. Remus stares at them incredulously.

"Inconceivable."

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Meanwhile, back at Lily and her friends' table they are chatting amicably.

"So Lily, do you think you'll be swept off your feet by Prince Charming tonight?" asks Margaret. She is one of the few of Lily's friends who takes Muggle Studies even though she is a Halfblood.

Lily grins at her other two friends' confused faces.

"It's a Muggle story," explains Lily. "It's about a girl who has a evil step-mother and two evil step-sisters that make her do chores for them. Then one day she goes to the ball and meets the man of her dreams but they don't know whom each other are until she loses a shoe and he comes to find the girl. He turns about to be a Prince and they live happily ever after. That's the 'lovely' tale though."

Marlene says, "What do you mean the 'lovely' tale?"

"Well, there are takes on it that are a lot more gruesome told by the _Brothers Grim._ Those stories are vile, though."

"You know who this Prince Charming reminds me of?" asks Alice with a wicked smile.

"If you're talking about Potter –" growls Lily.

"Of course I'm talking about _James_!" exclaims Alice. "You guys have been getting on relatively well lately –"

"Just because we're having a some-what okay streak doesn't mean he likes me or I like him."

The three girls roll their eyes. Lily looks slightly disgruntled.

"What?"

"Oh Lily, you're so blind!" cries Alice, and the others nod in agreement.

"_What?"_

The girls snigger but stop at Lily's expression. Marlene sighs and is the one that takes pity on her.

"Lily, it's so obvious James has _deep_ feelings for you!"

Lily splutters and nearly chokes on her drink. "You've got to be _kidding_ me! We're not going to do this again are we?"

"Do what again?" asks Margaret.

Lily groans. "Every time you say that Potter likes me he turns around and gives me a reason to believe otherwise. If he really likes me then why won't he just grow up?"

"Maybe's he's trying," points out Alice. "Haven't you noticed he's not flirting with girls as much anymore? Are you honestly telling me you haven't seen the way he looks at you?"

Lily has to admit James has stopped flirting with random girls. She will give him that, but he is still the obnoxious, arrogant, swine that he has always been. She decides to voice her thoughts, unaware of how her voice is carrying.

"Potter is still the same obnoxious, arrogant, swine that he's always been," says Lily determinedly. "He's got the ego the size of Asia and nothing he does will change my opinion on that."

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James sighs. Little did Lily know how well her voice carries and the Marauders have heard the entire back-and-forth going on three tables away. He now has a sad look in his eyes but also a fiery glint.

"Too bad, mate," comforts Sirius, patting him on the back. "Looks like she's still thinking the same of you."

James gives him a look full of "No shit, Sherlock".

Sirius grins sheepishly. "Sorry." He then notices the glint. "Oh no, I know that glint. That's your determined face."

Remus interjects. "Okay, wait a second, Prongs. Before you do anything rash, now you know what she _really_ thinks of you. This is _good_."

"How's the hell is that supposed to make him feel good?" asks Peter baffled. James cannot help but agree with his tiny friend.

Remus sighs. Sometimes he swears he is the only one with more than one brain cell.

"It's _good_ because now you know what you can do to change!"

"What if I don't want to change?" counters James.

Remus gives him a look. "Do you want Lily to like you or not?"

Now it is James turn to grin sheepishly. "Yes, sir."

Remus cracks a smile. "Well, I'd start with like she said, deflating your ego so it's not the equivalent of Asia. Her words not mine!" he says hastily as James glares at him. James sighs disgruntled.

"How would I do that?"

Remus gives him a genuine smile this time.

"Well for starters, you're going to have to stop running your hands through your hair. Ah ha!" he cries as James does just that.

"I can't help it! I do it subconsciously," argues James defensively.

"Well, stick your hands in your pockets if you have to!" James scowls and nods.

"Also, don't talk about Quidditch all the time," adds Remus. "A girl can only hear so much about _101 Do's and Don'ts Done By James Potter._"

"Why don't you just drive a knife through my heart?" asks James melodramatically.

Sirius rolls his eyes and coughs what sounds an awful lot like, "Whipped."

James smacks him on the head just as the plates and goblets disappear. Everyone stands up simultaneously.

"We are now going to move outside to dance," announces Professor Dumbledore. "We thought it'd be nicer under the stars."

Lily cannot help but agree. It is beautiful tonight under the stars and thankfully for Remus, the moon is not visible tonight and it is still fairly warm out.

"You may all feel free to roam around the general area now and dance," says Professor Dumbledore loudly. "You may not however, leave the grounds or risk severe punishment. Please welcome, the Weird Sisters!"

The grounds explode with applause at the newly recognized music group as they appear on a stage Lily did not notice. There have been advertisements in the _Daily Prophet_ about how they came to be in the previous year and their latest gigs.

They start singing and everything becomes a mixture of confusion as people begin running around, dancing with random strangers and flirting shamelessly. The grounds are dark now and no one can see whom they were dancing with even if they tried.

Lily has been dancing by her friends for a while now. They have found three other boys. One boy has sandy brown hair and is dancing with Margaret. Another has long brown hair and is dancing with Marlene. And she knows the one with Alice is obviously Frank. She is watching them somewhat sadly until someone taps her on the shoulder. She turns around and comes face-to-face with a black masked man. He offers her his hand and she nods shyly, ignoring her friends' giggles.

They walk off to a less populated area and begin dancing and talking.

"I don't know about you but I hate the Weird Sisters," says the man in his deep, husky voice. It sounds vaguely familiar to Lily.

"Same here!" cries Lily over the blasting music. "I personally like Muggle music better."

"Me too," agrees the stranger. Is he a Muggleborn? "They have a nicer lyrics and it isn't as obnoxious."

"What artists do you like?" asks Lily.

If it was not so dark she may have been able to see the stranger blush.

"Oh, Frank Sinatra and the Beatles," he says embarrassed.

"Me too!" The man grins and they continue dancing in a comfortable silence. "Are you a Muggleborn?"

The man hesitates and then shakes his head before he remembers that she cannot see him.

"No, Pureblood."

Lily tries to hide her confusion, wondering how in the world a Pureblood would know about Sinatra and the Beatles. Suddenly a slow song comes on and it becomes a bit awkward.

Uncertainly, Lily wraps her arms around the masked man's neck and he puts his hands on her waist. She cannot help but marvel at how well they move together. He is so much taller than her but it does not matter because she is still able to rest her head on his shoulder. She makes the mistake, however, of looking into his warm eyes and can feel a blush coming on. Those strong, yet familiar hazel eyes.

He lifts her mask ever so slightly and leans in to kiss her. She feels the fireworks go off in her head. His soft lips against hers are blissful. The way he maneuvers his tongue through her mouth is so strong yet not too forceful that she cannot help but feel like he is the one. The one she can always love.

There is a loud crack. Lily stops kissing the masked man in surprise and at first thinks it is part of the song. Then she realizes that people in dark cloaks and silver masks are Apparating onto the grounds.

_Death Eaters._

"Everyone! Into the school, now!" says Dumbledore, his voice amplified.

Lily lets go of the masked man completely and begins running along with the others into the school. Once she begins climbing the Marble staircase, she feels her shoe slip off her foot. The strap has broken off of it.

"Hey! Hey, Lily!" shouts the masked man, holding up her shoe.

How does he know her name? Her hair. It serves practically as a nametag for her even if she is wearing a mask. She ignores him calling her and continues running up the steps so she can be safe in her dormitory. Once in the common room she realizes she has no idea where her friends are and feels a pang of terror. She is a Gryffindor for Merlin's sake! She should not be running! She runs back out and down the steps to find her friends. She kicks off her other shoe and runs barefoot onto the grounds where she sees a lone Death Eater using the Cruciatus Curse on Michael, a fourth year. He must have tried to fight him or her.

"Stop! Stop!" sobs a girl next to him. She also has red hair like Lily and appears to be friends or more with Michael.

"You're next," sneers Bellatrix.

"Like hell she is!" cries Lily. "_Expelliarmus!"_ she cries, disarming the Death Eater. She falls back, having not noticed Lily, and Lily catches her wand. She gets up from the ground, but now her cloak and mask have fallen off. It is Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius' cousin.

"_You!"_ growls a voice from behind Lily. There stands James, whom she has not seen all night.

Bellatrix smirks. "Aw, ickle Potter going to save his wittle Mudblood girlfriend?" She cackles like a lunatic. "The Dark Lord received my cousin's letter saying you'd join us as soon as hell freezes over. I must say he's most displeased."

"That his problem then, isn't it?" sneers James. "Though I can't see why anyone would want to join him in the first place. Voldemort's just a pathetic excuse for a Wizard."

Bellatrix's face is contorted with rage. For someone who once looked quite pretty, she now looks quite demented.

"How _dare_ you speak about my Master like that!" she shrieks. "How _dare_ you call him by his name! You obviously have no respect for him!"

"Nooo," says James sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "And here I thought you had to be smart to be a Death Eater. He only _murdered my brother_, but I guess it doesn't take much to qualify as long as you're bloodthirsty. Must be why he's recruiting werewolves like Fenrir Greyback..."

"Potter, stop," whispers Lily anxiously. There are flashes of lights illuminating the grounds and Michael needs to be rushed to the infirmary quickly.

"_Silence!"_ screams Bellatrix. "You shall not say another word against the greatest sorcerer in the world!"

"Funny, I don't believe I was saying a word against Dumbledore," retorts James, keeping his voice as even as possible. "Because he surpasses _Voldemort_ any day!"

There is a loud cry and a red Phoenix swoops down and attacks Bellatrix. She lets out a yelp and after grabbing her wand from an unprepared Lily, runs off the boundaries where they hear a loud crack, clearly meaning she Disapparated.

Both Lily and James are breathing loudly. James does not realize how much he is sweating until he wipes his forehead.

"Come on, we have to get him to the Hospital Wing," says Lily, breaking the silence. "Are you okay?" she asks the girl who is still sobbing.

The girl looks up and her mask has fallen off now. She looks around the same age as Michael.

"I – I'm fine. H-He's the one hurt!"

"What's your name, honey?" Lily asks kindly.

"N-Nadine. I'm also a fourth year Gryffindor."

"It's nice to meet you, Nadine –" Before she can continue though, James cuts her off.

"Nadine, could you please bring Michael up to the hospital wing? I need to talk to Lily. Tell Madam Pomfrey and the others we'll be up briefly."

Nadine nods and runs off with Michael leaving the two of them alone. Lily looks at him annoyed for sending the young girl off. He does not give her a chance to reprimand him though and rounds on her.

"What the bloody hell were you doing out here?" he asks furiously. His temper is slowly boiling to the surface and he is not sure how much longer he can keep his temper in check.

"I was trying to help. Michael and Nadine would have _died_ if I hadn't disarmed Bellatrix!" retorts Lily harshly. Ignoring the fact that she is right, he keeps arguing.

"_You_ could have died!"

"I'm a Gryffindor! You can't expect me to hang out upstairs and allow others to be in danger!" He looks down at her feet.

"What happened to your other shoe?"

"That's none of your –," she begins, and then freezes. How did he…?

It all makes sense. Deep familiar voice, knowledge of Muggle music even though he is a Pureblood, the fact that he knows her other shoe fell off…no, it cannot be! James Potter cannot be the man that she…that she…

"How did you know my other shoe fell off?" she asks even though she knows the answer. She needs to know for sure that she is not over thinking this.

The look in his eyes is enough evidence that she is not.

NO!

James sighs and resists the urge to run his hand through his hair. Instead of answering her question he says, "We should go to the hospital wing.

Lily nods numbly and the two of them walk up the hill in silence, lost in their own troubled thoughts.

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"It's a good thing you were there or there could have been long lasting damage," says Madam Pomfrey once they arrive. "You also may have just saved his life."

She walks away, leaving James and Lily in the threshold of the Hospital Wing.

"Thank you Mr. Potter and Miss Evans," says Professor McGonagall, walking up to them. "Fifty points to you each for single handedly getting rid of a Death Eater."

"Thank you, Professor," they both chorus.

"It is also my sorrowful duty to report to you that one of your friends Mr. Potter and one of your friends Miss Evans have been severely injured."

They both gape and wait for her to continue with baited breath.

"Mr. Black and Miss McKinnon have both suffered from the Cruciatus Curse. They had also been helping round up everyone. The culprit we know is also Bellatrix Lestrange."

James growls and Lily's eyes widen.

"W-where are they?" Lily falters. Professor McGonagall points to the back of the room where there are two beds behind one curtain, shielding them from view.

Both Lily and James run back there and see their other friends surrounding the beds.

"This is unbelievable," croaks Lily. Margaret, Remus, Peter, and Alice nod.

"Were they together when this happened?" asks James to Remus and Peter. They shrug.

"They must have been rounding up the gaggle of first and second years who came to spy on the ball," says Remus sadly. "I do know though that Bellatrix was particularly interested in hurting, if not killing Sirius."

James falls into a chair and puts his face in his hands. Lily wipes the tear that trickled down her cheek. She cannot believe anyone can be so heartless to try and kill his or her own kin. Then again, Sirius has never really seen eye-to-eye with his family and their beliefs. She knows they consider this a moral insult.

"Come on, we'd better get upstairs to sleep," says Lily weakly. No one hears her though. Since tomorrow is Sunday they opt to stay with Sirius and Marlene. Lily does not bother to argue and Madam Pomfrey knows she has no chance in removing them so agrees as long as they do not disturb the patients they can stay.

No one talks for the whole night and no one sleeps either. Occasionally someone will slump in their seat but wake in a jerk and be wide-awake again. They stayed like this until ten the next morning when sunshine cascades through the open window. It is then that Sirius and Marlene both open their eyes blearily.

"Jesus?" murmurs Sirius, staring sleepy-eyed at James. James cannot help but laugh. This arouses everyone else around him.

"Always the Christian, Padfoot," smirks James. Sirius cracks a smile and looks around. His eyes fall on Marlene and stay there for a fraction of a section before looking away.

James notices this and when he catches Sirius' eye again he gives him a look that says 'we need to talk'. Sirius makes a face.

"Where are we?" asks Marlene confused.

"You're in the Hospital Wing," answers Lily tiredly. "You arrived here last night." She yawns as do the other five. Marlene's eyes widen.

"Did you guys stay here all night?" she gasps. Lily looks guiltily at the others. Sirius gapes at them.

"You guys look like something the cat dragged in!" he exclaims. "Go upstairs and get some sleep, right now!"

"Hmm, never thought I'd see the day that Sirius gets _serious_," says Remus dryly. Everyone laughs and stands up. They bid goodbye to Sirius and Marlene and leave, leaving them in an awkward silence.

"Some party last night," murmurs Sirius. Marlene turns to glare at him.

"Must you always make a joke of _everything?"_ she asks irritably. "We could have died last night!"

"I joke when I'm uncomfortable!" cries Sirius. "Sorry for inconveniencing you with my humour."

Marlene sighs and rolls her eyes. "You've always been so difficult."

"Touché."

"Sirius, you do know that not everything is a game, right?" asks Marlene softly. Sirius notes it was the first time she has called him by his first name.

Sirius does not respond. He does in fact know that he will not be able to joke around like this for much longer. Last night is a perfect example of what waits for them once they graduate. They have really only known one world and that is inside of Hogwarts, under Dumbledore's protection. At the end of next year they will have to fend for themselves. He is kidding himself if he thinks for a second that nothing will change in a year.

"Black?" says Marlene, returning to using his surname. Damn it, he hates that name. Everything seems to revolve around that damn name.

"You think I don't realize that things are going on outside this castle as well as inside that isn't a game?" says Sirius coolly. Marlene is taken by surprise by his sudden harshness. "Well I'm bloody well aware. I've been exposed to it since I was born into this world. My parents made sure of it. Half the stuff I've seen I wish I hadn't seen. Yet you still think I think life's a game?"

It is Marlene's turn to say nothing now. She has rarely seen this side of Sirius. He is usually so happy and full of energy. Now he is bitter and resentful. She hates it. She hates that it is his family who made him like this and that she brought it out in him today.

"I'm sorry," she says.

"For what?" he asks surprised.

"For saying that you thought of the war as a game when in fact, it isn't and you clearly know more about it then I do."

Sirius nods and looks on his nightstand where there is a pile of his schoolbooks. A History of Magic is on the top, open on the page of Goblin Rebellions. He picks up the book and mutters a incantation. Without warning, the book lights on fire. Marlene gasps in surprise as the book burns down to ashes. Sirius dumps them into the bin next to his bed and says no more.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	8. Brawls and Breaks

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 8 – Brawls and Breaks

After Sirius and Marlene were released from the hospital wing, they immediately parted ways. Neither one of them can be in the others presence for any longer without feelings arising that are so strong, so undesirable, and _so_ foreign.

When Sirius walks into his dormitory that night and sees James lounging on his bed, he knows that he is waiting for him.

"We need to talk," are James' first words. Sirius sighs and nods reluctantly. "What's going on with you and Marlene?"

"What do you mean?" he asks quickly, and James narrows his eyes.

"You know damn well what I mean, Padfoot. You fancy her." It is not a question.

"So what if I think she's – hot?" he says lamely. James gives him a look.

"She's not like the other girls, mate," he says seriously. "You can't just mess her around and then toss her to the side like the rest of them. She's too good for that and I'd like to think a little too smart for that as well. She knows your reputation and does a damn good job at reminding you of it." Sirius snorts. That is the understatement of the year.

"What makes you so sure that we'll ever be anything?" Sirius asks defensively. As far as he is concerned, that kiss with Marlene was a one-time thing but James does not know about that.

James surveys him and Sirius stares defiantly back at him and James sighs.

"What are you keeping from me, mate?" he asks Sirius, and Sirius gapes at him. Is he really that easy to read?

Of course not. Sirius Black perfected the art of secrecy and discretion when it came to his emotions years ago. If he had not he would have been made weak by his parents and the rest of his bloody family.

James was the only person who could see through his act though. He knew when Sirius was hurting, confused, or hiding something and would call him out on it.

"Talk to me, Sirius," James begs. Sirius can sense the urgency in his tone from the use of his first name.

"It's – complicated," he says uncomfortably.

"Elaborate?" James asks. "Perhaps I can help you."

"Unless you have a Time Turner on you, I don't think you'll be able to help much." James furrows his eyebrows in confusion.

"Come again?"

"I think I made a really big mistake Prongs," mutters Sirius, running his hand through his hair anxiously. He sits down on his bed and puts his face in his palms and lets out a groan. "And I can't take it back now."

James sits down next to him and waits for him to continue. When he does not he decides to ask, "What happened?"

"We – I –"

"Spit it out mate."

"I kissed Marlene."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

It is all Lily can do to stay awake in History of Magic the next day. Even though Sirius and Marlene had demanded that they all go get some sleep, she had tossed and turned all night. By the look of her friends, she is not the only one who did not sleep. Her and Remus are the only one attempting to take notes, mainly to live up to their Prefect badges. Though Remus looks like he had had less sleep than she had. His eyes keep drooping and he occasionally has an involuntary twitch to keep himself awake.

Margaret and Alice have been playing tic-tac-toe on a spare bit of parchment for the past half an hour (Lily regrets teaching them this game). James is now drawing what appears to be an embellished Snitch with letters she cannot see. He appears troubled also, but for what reason she cannot determine. She has a feeling it has something to do with Sirius since she has seen the two of them whispering a lot lately. And finally, Sirius and Marlene are having a heated discussion in the back of the room, and Peter is asleep, his head resting on his book.

Lily continues to take her notes as well as she can until something appears on her paper that she knows she did not write.

**Hey Evans**

She recognizes the scrawl immediately and turns to glare suspiciously at James. He has not taken his eyes off his parchment but the twinkle in his eyes is a dead giveaway. She recognizes it as how they twinkle whenever he is up to mischief.

She sighs and has no choice but to respond now that he realizes she has noticed.

_Potter_

**You've got to be the only person taking notes**

_Remus is too_

**Yes, well you two are interchangeable in that sense. I'll never understand how you two can break past Binns monotone.**

_It's called effort Potter. I know that word though is not in your vocabulary though._

**Ouch Evans, I'm wounded.**

_Good, maybe you'll stop writing to me then so I can actually pay attention._

**Are you telling me you'd rather listen to this crap on Goblin Rebellions then converse with yours truly?**

_Your words, not mine._

She can hear James snort from a few rows behind her.

**Do you know what Marlene and Sirius are talking about?**

Lily rolls her eyes.

_Now how would I know that from way up here? Why don't you move your lazy arse and ask them yourself? Professor Binns probably wouldn't notice._

**Language, Evans, besides I tried asking Sirius.**

_And?_

**You don't want to know.**

_Actually I do._

**You'll get ideas of what to do to me as revenge.**

_Tell me._

**No.**

_Yes._

**NO.**

_YES._

"NO!" screams James out loud. Lily smirks as everyone turns to look at him. Remus gives him a scandalized look as Professor Binns continues as if he heard nothing, which he probably did not.

**Thanks a lot. You made an arse out of me.**

_You do that perfectly on your own._

There is no response and Lily looks behind her in confusion. Her heart skips a beat when she sees James glaring at her but not angrily. He has an amused look on his face that she finds sort of sexy…

_Whoa, NO! _thinks Lily horrified. _You do not think of Potter in that way. He is not appealing in any way, shape, or form…but that kiss during the Masquerade ball…no, forget about that, it was a one-time thing._

She is surprised when she sees that he has written a message to her. She must have zoned out there for a moment.

**I saw you staring.**

Those four simple words cause her to blush furiously.

_Why does he always have to embarrass me? _She thinks. _Does he get some sick sort of pleasure out of it?_

She collects herself and writes back to him.

_Whatever gets you through the day Potter_.

He groans internally. He ruined a conversation again. Why can he not just listen to Remus and stop making her feel uncomfortable?

Damn it.

He looks down at his parchment again and reads what she writes next.

_I've been meaning to ask you…what have you and Black been talking so intently about lately?_

James looks at the parchment in confusion.

**You mean you don't know?**

_Potter…_

**Didn't Marlene tell you?**

I freeze. Tell me about what? Could this have something to do with what happened that evening her and Sirius were alone?

_Tell me about what? Is this about what happened that night they were in the common room alone?_

**Never mind.**

Damn him. He always plays these games.

_Tell me, Potter!_

**Call me James.**

_What?_

**James. My name is **_**James**_**.**

_I am aware. Please Potter, just tell me, Potter._

**No. If you don't already know then I can't talk to you about it.**

I grunt in frustration. Why must he be so damn difficult?

_Can't or won't?_

_**Can't**_**. It is hardly your business.**

_And how exactly is it yours?_

**It's not…Padfoot told me on his own…**

_Well, then I guess there's no reason to continue talking. Goodbye Potter._

**Wait, Evans –**

She takes out her wand and vanishes the conversation, much to James' annoyance, and resumes taking notes for the remainder of class. James, however, saves the conversation and begins drawing Snitches again.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Hey Lily-bean, can I borrow your History of Magic textbook for the homework?" asks Sirius that evening in the common room. Lily raises an eyebrow.

"Where's yours?"

Sirius grins. "I burned it yesterday."

"Dare I ask why?"

"Complicated." Lily nods slowly and digs through her bag for her book. "Here, try not to burn it."

"No promises. Thanks you're a life saver." He begins making his way back to where he is sitting when Lily calls out to him again.

"Why couldn't you borrow Potter's?" she asks, and he smirks.

"Detention with Moony and Wormtail."

Lily arches her eyebrow again. "Why not you?"

"I had been in detention already when it happened."

Lily snorts. "Somehow I'm not surprised." She turns back to her work again and says nothing else.

"Where are Alice, Margaret, and…Marlene?" he asks, saying the last one hesitantly.

"Alice is spending time with Frank, Margaret turned in for the night, and Marlene practically ran up after her when she saw you coming…" She narrows her eyes and asks shrewdly, "What happened between you too?"

Sirius gives her a strange look and picks up his stuff and moves over by her. "It's complicated." She gives him a look.

"Most things in life are," says Lily, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You never answered if that's what it is about though."

"Yes."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Gee, I can feel the love practically emanating off of you," she says drily, and he snorts.

"You can feel something else if you want," he says, reverting back to his normal self, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Lily smacks him on the arm. "I guess I deserved that." Lily laughs and resumes working on her Ancient Runes homework. Suddenly Sirius lets out a gasp. She looks up irritably.

"What is it _now,_ Black?"

"Call me, Sirius," he says suddenly. She looks at him confused. This is the second time that day that someone has told her to call them by their first name, incidentally they are best mates.

"Why?"

"Because I hate my last name."

Lily immediately feels bad for asking. She should have known Sirius would not like being constantly reminded that he is related to those horrible people.

"Sorry…Sirius."

He smiles genuinely and then continues excitedly.

"I just had a brilliant idea!" he squeals. Lily waits patiently for him to continue. "You should help the us, the Marauders, pull a prank!"

"I told you last year, I work alone."

Sirius rolls his eyes. "Come _on!"_ he begs. "Remus is usually the one who is the mastermind behind making sure our plans don't implode. It'd be even better if we have two smart people. You know what they say, two brains are better then none."

"I'm not sure that's quite right," laughs Lily. "Plus, flattery will get you no where."

Sirius gives her his infamous puppy eyes that wins most people over. She groans.

"Come on, Sirius! You know those don't work on me!" A few passerby girls, including Kristina Davis and her posy, giggle at his whimpering expression. She makes her way over to him and Lily suppresses the urge to groan outwardly.

"Hey Sirius," she says, grinning flirtatiously. Lily resists the urge to gag. Kristina sometimes gives _Miranda_ a run for her money when it comes to her wardrobe.

Sirius looks up at her and his eyes roam her body greedily, zoning in on the upper half of her torso. Watching him practically take off Kristina's clothes with his eyes makes Lily feel sick to her stomach.

"Hey babe," he says with a devilish grin on his face. Kristina's friends behind her giggle and bat their eyelashes for Sirius. The thing that marvels Lily is that they will all openly flirt with him even though their leader is clearly into him.

Living up to her title, Kristina glares at the three behind her and they promptly stand up straight and fall silent. Amazing.

"My dorm tonight?" she asks with a smirk in Lily's direction. Lily rolls her eyes and listens interestedly for Sirius' response.

Sirius looks nervously at the girls' dormitory, for reasons unknown, and then at Lily. Kristina's eyes widen in horror.

"The two of you aren't –" she begins.

"NO!" Lily and Sirius cry in unison. Kristina only smirks.

"Right. I should have known that perfect Lily Evans would never do anything of the sort." She turns back to Sirius. "See you tonight." She bends over and kisses him full on the lips before walking off with her friends to Merlin knows where.

Now looking incredibly flustered, Sirius chances a glance at Lily who is staring at him in disbelief. He opens his mouth to possibly say something to contradict the obvious but Lily just shakes her head.

"Save me the details," she says, shivering. He nods uncomfortably. "And in regards to your asking me to help you lot with a prank…fine. I'll help you guys but only because I never want to see that puppy-dog face again, now knowing what it attracts."

Sirius grins. "It does have that effect on the ladies."

Just then James, Peter, and Remus walk into the common room with expressions like they have just seen an Inferi.

"What's up with you three?" asks Lily.

"McGonagall made us dissect fetus pigs and sort out the male from the female –" (**A/N: Oh, 9****th**** grade Biology class…**)

"Okay, we get it!" cry both Sirius and Lily in unison. James looks at them both suspiciously.

"What's this?" he asks.

"A book," Sirius says, holding up Lily's _A History of Magic_. James gives him a look.

"No, I mean _this_," he says, gesturing to Sirius and Lily.

"What's what, Potter?" asks Lily coldly. James glares at her and Sirius quickly intervenes, seeing where this is going.

"Since you three decided to be in detention tonight and Lily-bean's friends were MIA, I decided to grant her the privilege of being in my presence." Lily rolls her eyes. "Somewhere along the way however, one thing led to another and we decided to –"

"SIRIUS!" scream both Lily and James. Lily smacks him upside the head and watches as he whimpers.

"He invited himself over here and started flirting with Kristina Davis," finishes Lily, glaring at James. Sirius blushes. "Not that it's any of your business."

"Like hell it's not my business," he retorts. He sees Lily's eyes flashed with anger.

"Oh yeah, how's that?"

James bites back a retort and says nothing and instead turns to Sirius. He gives him a meaningful look and Sirius nods with a grin on his face. James' frown suddenly turns into a grin and Lily's eyes widen.

"So…Padfoot and Davis, huh?" says Remus uncomfortably. Lily ignores him though and rounds on Sirius.

"You knew I'd say yes, didn't you?" she cries. "DIDN'T YOU?"

Sirius gets out of his chair slowly and holds it up in front of him out of fear of the redhead.

"Now Lily-bean," he says carefully, "we only want you to help us with this prank because we know you have a brain in your head." Remus slaps his head and Lily narrows her eyes into slits.

"_Excuse me?"_ she growls. Sirius realizes his mistake and hastily tries to correct it.

"What I meant to say was…help me out here, Moony!" he says anxiously. Remus sighs.

"This prank needs more than one person to make sure it doesn't fail, Lily," says Remus calmly. "_Obviously_ none of the other Marauders are able to do that and that's where you come in. See, we were going to play a friendly little prank on the Slytherins –"

"-But we also need to single one out above the rest," finishes James.

"There in lies the problem," adds Peter. "It takes an awful lot Charming and none of us are as good at Charming as you are."

"Let me guess, Severus is the target?" says Lily wearily. The Marauders nod.

"He's the reason we got into detention tonight," explains James. "So, will you help us?"

"You know I can't condone this!" cries Lily. "But…I will help on one condition."

The Marauders exchange a look. "What?"

"If we get caught I had _nothing_ to do with it. I'm not about to tarnish my perfect record. Plus, I'd be proving myself a hypocrite after all these years of telling you off for pranking."

"Deal!" the Marauders exclaim.

"We need to do it though tonight at midnight," whispers James. "Meet us in the common room then. Wear black."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily waits until all of her friends, including Dorcas, have fallen asleep before getting out of bed. She tiptoes around the room and pulled out a black turtleneck and black low-rise jeans. She then moves carefully over to Margaret's trunk and fishes through for a pair of black, high-heeled boots. They are not particularly high, high-heels but Lily thinks it will be appropriate to wear and since they are the same size, why not? Perhaps though she should stop watching all those Muggle movies.

She walks back to her bed and grabs the flashlight she had been instructed to bring. It confuses her in and of itself when they have wands but she supposes that it is more dim than wandlight and they do not want to attract a lot of attention. She walks quickly and quietly out of her dormitory and down the metal, spiral staircase. Once she reaches the bottom she sits down on the couch to wait for the guys.

"Hey beautiful," whispers a voice in her ear. She starts and spins around to come nose-to-nose with James.

"Potter! What the hell?" she hisses. "You nearly sent me into cardiac arrest!"

He smirks and says, "I guess I just have that effect on you," then yelps in pain when she slaps him.

"Don't humour yourself."

"Will you two lovebirds keep it down?" mutters Sirius. "You'll wake the whole House up!"

"Padfoot's right. The last thing we need are witnesses," whispers Remus before Lily can retort angrily. "Where's Peter?"

"Right here," squeaks a voice near the boys' dormitory. "I got the Cloak."

"Cloak?" whispers Lily, and James nods.

"My Invisibility Cloak." Lily gasps.

"So _that's_ how you guys get away with all of your pranks!" she exclaims, yet in a whisper.

"Pretty much."

"We're also working on a –" begins Peter. Sirius slaps his hand over Peter's mouth.

"Shut. The. _Hell._ Up," he hisses in Peter's ear. Peter nods and falls silent.

"Well, let's go then," says James, and Lily has to admire how easily he takes charge of a situation. Not unlike herself with her friends.

They all duck under the Cloak and opens the portrait hole.

"What? Who's there?" asks the Fat Lady. Lily bites back a giggle but at the expense of making her lip bleed. She winces in pain, which goes unnoticed by all but James since he is next to her. He looks concerned but she brushes it off so he just shrugs and they continue on.

They walk down several staircases and then the Grand Marble staircase. They turn right at the Great Hall doors and walk down to the dungeon, the entire time Lily being lost in thought.

For one thing, it is hard to concentrate since she is next to James and his cologne is practically emanating off of him. He might as well bathe in it for how strong and intoxicating it is.

"You alright?" James whispers in her ear. It tickles and she shivers slightly.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

In Lily's opinion it is ten times eerier at night in the dungeons than during the day and she does not like it. She would never have been able to survive if she had been in Slytherin. It also feels like it has dropped twenty degrees as they keep walking through the maze of corridors. Finally, the reach a final long corridor with a blank wall at the end. They approach it and it says, "Password?"

Lily looks at the Marauders horrorstruck and they look at Sirius blankly.

"Pureblood," he says confidently. To Lily's shock, the wall materializes a wooden door and allows itself to be opened and they walk in.

"How'd you know the password?" whispers Lily. "Did you overhear one of the Slytherins?" He shakes his head.

"You doubt me, Miss Lily. When you grow up with people who are obsessed in blood purity, you know how close-minded they think," explains Sirius. "It all revolves around the same thing."

They continue to the left where there is a separate corridor leading to what they assume the boys dormitories. Somehow going in there does not seem right to Lily but she has made a promise and will follow through even if it goes against some of her ethics.

"What exactly are we changing them into?" asks Lily.

"Well, I thought we would twist a classic Muggle tale slightly," smirks James. "Come on, this is Snivellus' room."

He says this without looking at the door and Lily wonders how many other times they have been here. Deciding she would rather not know, she nods and they open the door, thankful when it does not creak. They walk in and tiptoe over to where Severus sleeps.

"Slimy git," mutters Sirius. "Or should I say, _Goldie Locks_."

"You guys are horrible," mutters Lily, taking out her wand. She points it at Severus and changes his hair to gold with delicate ringlets. She pulls back the covers and changes his pajamas into a dress with tights and black shoes. The Marauders resist the urge to snort as she mutters something else to make sure only her or them can take it off. The effects will last for a while.

"Padfoot, Wormy, and Moony, you lot go do the Three Bears and Evans and I will go prepare the common room for tomorrow." Lily wonders who is referring to when he says "Three Bears" but decides not to question it.

Sirius, Peter, and Remus nod and slide out from under the Cloak.

"Wait," Lily says quickly. They all turn to look at her in confusion. "I've been practicing a spell and it will ensure that if someone wakes up they won't see you."

Before they can comment, Lily performs a Disillusionment Charm on each of them. They stare at their bodies and where the others should be in wonder. James gapes at Lily.

"That's a Disillusionment Charm!" he gasps, and Lily nods. "That's not even N.E.W.T level! The only people I know who can do that are my father and Dumbledore!"

Lily shrugs and the others, after thanking her and admiring her piece of magic, each walk to another bed in the room. Meanwhile, her and James make their way back to the common room.

"What exactly is the point of this again?" asks Lily wearily.

James says, "Well, of course we need to see their initial reactions tomorrow. It'll be priceless. But first we need to decorate the common room to fit the scene."

Lily nods and waves her wand, transforming the common room into what looked like a den with three beds and three chairs and three bowls of soup.

"Brilliant," murmurs James. They sit down on one of the sofas (which is no where near as comfortable as the ones in their own common room) and wait for the other Marauders.

"So, what was the real reason you planned this and needed my help?" asks Lily suddenly. James turns to look at her in surprise.

"Erm…because I hate Snape and he got us in detention?"

"You've never cared before if he got you in detention."

"Because he's a slimy git?"

Lily shakes her head finding it hard to believe that that is the real reason. James sighs.

"Because of last year."

Lily looks at him confused. "What about last year?" James shifts uncomfortably.

"The incident by that damn tree."

Comprehension dawns on Lily and she also shifts nervously.

"We have been planning it for a while but we have had to work out the kinks for the past two months. Finally, we decided if anyone should be in on it, it should be you. After all, what he said effected you the most. It only made me loathe him more."

Lily smiles. "Thanks."

"For what?"

She motions to the whole common room.

"For all of this. It's…sweet."

James smiles too. "No problem."

Their eyes lock and there is a moment where the world seems to freeze. They are both staring deeply into the others' eyes. James' expression suddenly becomes serious and Lily's smile fades. His gaze does not falter from her emerald orbs and she takes in his hazel eyes that she has not paid much attention to until now. She does not look away though and watches nervously as his lips come closer and closer to hers. Lily is surprised when they meet hers but does not back away or push him off even though that is what her head is screaming for her to do. The fireworks are louder and more bright than any she has ever witnessed. They deepen the kiss and she does not even protest when James slips his tongue into her mouth. She gently massages his tongue as they both explore each other's mouths and her hands slips into his hair. Her hands delve deeper into his hair and he suppresses a moan of pleasure and the feeling of her nails gently scraping his scalp.

"Lily? Prongs? Where are you two?" asks Remus, coming down the corridor with Sirius and Peter.

They do not hear them at first and continue snogging. It is not until they hear the next thing said by none other than Sirius do they break apart.

"They're probably off snogging in some broom cupboard," he snorts. "All that pent up angst is bound to let loose eventually."

Lily and James pull apart so quickly, finally realizing they are not alone, that it is as if they have been electrocuted. After feeling the sparks flying though from the initial kiss it is a definite possibility, however. They take the cloak off, hoping that they do not look as flustered as they feel. Thankfully, the dim light of the common room provides as a cover for their now flushed skin.

"Come on, let's go," says Lily, taking the Charm off the boys and lifting the Cloak for them.

James nods weakly and chances a glance at her. She does not look back but he can tell that she senses him staring.

Wondering if he has just made a big mistake by kissing her a second time, he walks with the others out of the common room and up to the main levels of the castle.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Wherever you happened to be in the castle the next morning, you could hear the roars of fury from the Slytherin common room.

"Who is responsible for this?" asks Professor Dumbledore that morning at breakfast. The Marauders and Lily keep a straight face as Professor Dumbledore surveys the room. His eyes flicker on the Marauders and then turn on Lily. Lily tries to keep the guilt out of her eyes and eventually he looks away, somewhat disappointed. She realizes he knows and curses when she remembers that he is a Legilimens. She might as well kiss her Prefect badge goodbye.

"We will get to the bottom of this," says Professor Dumbledore as the staff tries and fails to change them back. "Meanwhile, please go to your classes. Breakfast is over."

Lily has never seen Professor Dumbledore so upset before. She feels so guilty that she even considers turning herself in just to rid herself of the guilt. Sirius squashes that idea immediately since he is her partner in Potions and she had admitted her feelings to him. He told her off saying that if she gives herself away it will be sure that the Marauders had something to do with it as well. He claims Professor Dumbledore would know she was enlisted for the prank. So Lily figures she will just have to grin and bear it.

Besides worrying about the repercussions for her actions with the Marauders towards Severus and his friends (who turned out to be Avery, Mulciber, and Yaxley), Lily has other pressing issues on her mind.

This is now the second time in a month that she has kissed James and she is confused at where they stand. Sure, he still manages to bug her to no end but there is no denying that there is something there. She cannot forget the feeling of intimacy that they shared under the Invisibility Cloak but she does not know how to handle it. Talking to him could be bad because it will only bring that night back full force and he may think she is being too forward and over thinking it but not talking about it is driving her mad. Besides, he may not even like her that way…

But she knows that is bullocks. She saw the look of love and lust in his eyes when he was staring at her and is in no position to soon forget it. There in lies the problem though. She can never return those feelings.

That afternoon they have double History of Magic. _Again._ No one is paying attention though. Not that that is unusual in and of itself. However, instead of sleeping on their desks like they have on other occasions, they decide to sit on them and talk to friends. To their amusement, Professor Binns does not even notice a change and keeps talking in his monotone as everyone else talks loudly.

"So, I just remembered something," says Margaret.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" asks Remus grinning, and Margaret blushes. Lily nudges her slightly but Margaret ignores her.

"You guys said that one day when we were all bored in History of Magic that you would tell us about how you came up with the name the Marauders. Well, looks like that time is now. Start talking."

James laughs and looks at the other three boys. "Shall I?" They nod exuberantly and wait for him to continue.

"Okay, well it actually had multiple reasons," begins James. "The first time was at my house with Padfoot and the second –"

"OI! Prongs, you've already screwed the story up!" exclaims Sirius. Kristina's group at the table next to them giggle and he grins at them, winking specifically at Kristina. Lily's friends roll their eyes but Lily's stomach clenches when she notices Marlene does not and instead glares at her hands.

"That was the second time," he continues. "The first time was actually when we heard Lily call us it."

Lily raises her eyebrows surprised. "When was this?"

"The end of the last year when we were all getting on the train," explains Remus. "We were passing you and we heard you say 'being the Marauders that they are, I know for a fact that they would like to sit as far from the Prefects as they can.' It's funny because it's true."

Lily grins. She remembers that now. She had so desperately wanted to stay away from Potter then. A lot has changed and so has he. She glances at him sideways and turns red when she sees that he is already staring at her intently. She looks away quickly.

"Anyway," says James abruptly, looking away. "The second time we heard it was that very summer before we came to the wedding. It was just Padfoot and I and we had pulled a prank on my mother."

"Tell them what the prank was, Prongs," smirks Sirius.

James laughs. "Well we had been planning our _grand_ prank that just set off earlier when we got another idea in the spare time. Why not practice it on someone else first? So, while my mum was cooking dinner we snuck up on her and cast the spell on her. Unfortunately, we weren't really concentrating too well because we had also been trying to perfect a new experiment with canary creams."

"So, poor Dorea turned into a canary before we knew what had happened," chokes Sirius, laughing hysterically. The other Marauders and the girls laugh as well. Severus, or really Goldie Locks, who has been watching from the back of the room, grinds his teeth. How _dare_ his Lily laugh at something a Marauder said. She was going and going fast and he has to prevent her from falling into their trap sooner rather than later.

"The effect was only temporary," says James quickly. "But we knew the second she was normal again we'd best be running for our lives. So, we left her there and bounded up the stairs with her chasing after us in canary form. To our horror, we had locked ourselves out of our room and my sister refused to let us into hers –"

"You have a sister?" Margaret says in surprise.

James nods slowly. "Jessica…fourth year…twin of Jarred…"

"Oh, right."

"Anyway," continues Sirius. "We had to run to the next available room. His parents'."

"Oh, Merlin!" shriek the girls. James and Sirius nod solemnly.

"Well, Charlus was already in there since he just got back from the Ministry and took no expense in laughing his arse off at us," laughs Sirius.

"So after we begged him not to tell my mum where we were, we jumped into their wardrobe, which mind you was probably the most awkward experience of our lives," says James shivering.

"There are some things you can never _unsee_," mutters Sirius, emphasizing the word to the point where they are all cracking up.

"So we were hiding in there when mum came storming in, looking for us," continues James. "And when I say storming in, I _mean_ storming in. She started ranting and raving about how she was turned into a canary but at the same time she was laughing! Then she started talking about what 'those Marauders' would get up to next and who the 'Marauders' next victims would be."

"So we got to thinking," says Sirius. "It is a pretty good name and we had been trying to think of one for a while. I mean, when people say our names it take _forever_. James Pottttttter, Sirius Blaaaaaaack, Remus Lupppppppin, Peter Pettiiiiiiigrew. _Way_ too long."

"And thus, the Marauders were born," announces James. He then makes the sound of a baby crying to emphasize his point. Lily and her friends laugh and she stares at him, still captivated by his story. Just then the bell rings, signaling the end of the day.

They all pack their bags up and are just outside the classroom when Severus purposefully bumps into James. Sirius growls but James holds him back.

"It's all right, Padfoot," says James loudly so the whole corridor can hear. "After all, ladies first!"

Everyone in the hallway laughs except for Lily, who frowns, and her friends. Her friends only do not laugh out of respect for Lily though. In whole, they find the situation rather amusing added to with Severus' current appearance.

Severus spins around, his dress billowing behind him, and takes out his wand but not before James and Sirius do.

"Furnunculus!" cry James and Sirius together. Ugly boils sprout all over Severus' face and many passerby's stop and laughed. The boils, however, are far worse since they were done by not one, but two people.

"No Evans to stand up for you now, Snivellus!" taunts James.

"You're wrong there, Potter," says Lily harshly. How could she have been so naïve? Potter will never change. They may have kissed twice now but he is still the arrogant bully he was last year. She is now aware that the entire corridor is staring at her. "While I may not stand up for Severus anymore, that doesn't mean I can't stop you as a Prefect. Something my _fellow Prefect_ should be helping me with." She says this while glaring at Remus, who shifts uncomfortably.

While everyone had been staring at Lily and James, no one notices that Severus has done a silent curse at Sirius. It hits him and Sirius lets out a yell of anguish. Lily gasps. She recognizes it as one of Severus' creations. It is like invisible knives are cutting open Sirius' skin. Fresh blood is pouring down the corridor now and many people are yelling to get teachers.

James breaks eye contact with Lily and lets out a cry of fury. He abandons his wand and lunges at Severus. He punches and kicks a whimpering Severus who is unable to defend himself when it comes to a physical battle. By this point he is barely conscious.

"Prongs, get off of him!" shouts Remus, trying to pry him off with Lily's help.

"He's not worth it, Potter!" cries Lily. James takes another swing at Severus but as his right arm goes back in preparation of delivering another blow, his elbow located with Lily's nose.

"Shit!" she curses, holding her nose in pain.

Everyone gasps. Not necessarily because James hit her because they know it was an accident, but because none of them have ever heard Lily curse before. She does not think it is very becoming of a Prefect, or anyone, to do so in front of younger students.

This seems to have gotten James' attention if nothing else has.

"Evans?" says James weakly. She looks away from him and from her friends who are now surrounding her to check if she is okay. "Are you okay?"

Lily can feel the hot tears fill up in her eyes but will not let James see them. She cannot admit she is weak.

"Stubid question," she says through blood, her speech slightly impaired.

All of a sudden hundreds of voices start talking at once. Professor McGonagall appears with a terrified fourth year Hufflepuff girl.

"Oh my goodness!" she cries, clutching her heart. She stands transfixed at Sirius who is still bleeding on the floor and then looks at Severus who is barely conscious only a few feet away. "What has happened here?"

Everyone starts talking at once.

"Snape cursed Sirius –"

"Potter beat up Snape –"

"James accidentally hit Lily –"

"I'm scared –"

"QUIET!" calls Professor McGonagall. "Now I want one person to explain from an unbiased perspective. Mr. Lupin, you're a Prefect. Aside from your friendship with two of the people here, what really happened?"

Remus takes a deep breath before plunging in.

"Most of us had been coming out of our class, a History of Magic, when Snape bumped into James, here. Sirius, irate, wanted to attack but James decided first to insult him verbally about his appearance. Both of them used the Furnunculus Curse on Snape, leaving nasty results, and James said how Lily wouldn't help Snape anymore since they are no longer friends. That's when Lily stepped in saying that even if that is true she'd still step in as a Prefect and as everyone was watching her and James, Snape shot a nonverbal curse and Sirius fell to the ground like he was being pierced by a thousand knifes. James, this time irate, lunged at Snape and started beating him up by punching and kicking him. You know, Muggle dueling. Lily and I tried to pull him off but his elbow located with Lily's nose and now we think her nose is broken. Basically by that point you had arrived and here we are," finishes Remus. Professor McGonagall's eyes are wider than life now.

"Mr. Lupin and Mr. Pettigrew, take Mr. Black up to the Hospital Wing immediately then meet me in Professor Dumbledore's office. Mr. Avery and Mr. Mulciber, take Mr. Snape to the Hospital Wing as well. Miss Evans and Mr. Potter, come with me please. Everyone else, go to the Great Hall!"

The hall disperses to allow room for the injured to get through along with Professor McGonagall, James, and Lily. She leads them up the staircase and to the statue of a gargoyle in silence. Lily has never been to Professor Dumbledore's office and is terrified to be doing so now under such circumstances.

"Chocolate Frog," says Professor McGonagall tersely. The gargoyle nods, and to Lily's shock, jumps aside. She sneaks a look at James who, if anything, seems fine by this. He must have been here enough times. Shocker.

Lily is amazed to find that the staircase leading to Professor Dumbledore's office is a lot like a Muggle escalator. The only difference is that it is spiral, not straight.

Once they reach the landing, Lily and James jump off after Professor McGonagall and watches as she knocks on the door. Lily's first opinion is that Professor Dumbledore is entertaining, due to the many voices she hears inside. She wonders how many people he can fit in his office and hopes they are not interrupting anything too important.

"Come in," says a voice.

Professor McGonagall opens the door and ushers Lily and James in. Lily suddenly realizes where the voices must have come from. There, lined on the walls, are aged pictures of prior Headmasters and Headmistresses of Hogwarts.

"Ah, what a pleasant surprise," says Professor Dumbledore, warmly. "What do I owe the pleasure of seeing two of my most favorite pupils? Not fighting again, I hope?" Lily blushes and notices there is a twinkle in his eye as he addressed the pair of them that unsettles her. She feels the eyes of the portraits on her as well and chooses to ignore them the best she can.

"No Albus, this time they were not fighting," says Professor McGonagall curtly. "No, instead there was an all out brawl in the corridor outside of Professor Binns' classroom. In one way or another, they were both in it, along with several of their friends."

"Oh?" is all Professor Dumbledore says. "Would you like to explain what happened, Mr. Potter?"

James nods tersely. He tells the story, not wavering from Remus' version at all. Professor Dumbledore has not interrupted the entire time he has been talking. Instead, he has entwined his fingers and is resting his chin on them, while surveying James over his half-moon spectacles. Once James finishes, the door opens again and in walks Remus and Peter.

"Ah, hello Mr. Lupin, Mr. Pettigrew," greets Professor Dumbledore. "I'm afraid to say it hasn't been a very long time since I saw the two of you." They both grin slightly and sit down in the chairs Professor Dumbledore has conjured.

"Mr. Potter here has just concluded in telling me what happened earlier," he continues. "Is there anything you'd like to add?" Both shake their heads so he nods and turns to Lily. "And you, Miss Evans?"

Lily shakes her head too and winces at the pain her nose was inflicting. Professor Dumbledore looks at her concerned then turns to Professor McGonagall.

"Minerva, please take Miss Evans here to the Hospital Wing," instructs Professor Dumbledore. "Tell Poppy it's just a minor fracture. I'd fix it myself but as you can see, I'm not the best at administering broken noses." He gestures to his own nose as an example. "Also, tell Mr. Snape that I shall be paying him a visit soon. The rest of you may run along now to dinner and I shall inform you of your punishment in due course."

They all nod and walk out, not saying another word to each other and closing the door behind them.

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A/N: Please review!


	9. Heads and Bras

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 9 – Heads and Bras

A man in a cloak strides down the street leading off of Spinners End somewhere in Northern England. He keeps at a steady pace, his cloak flying behind him, silhouetted against the night sky. The man prefers operating in the dark. That way there are fewer witnesses.

He turns the corner and passes a newly wed couple, walking and laughing. As he passes, they whisper and point at him. He feels his hand go involuntarily into his cloak for his wand. In one simple movement, they can be six-feet under. But unnecessary. _Very_ unnecessary when his cover cannot afford to be blown.

He continues walking until he comes upon a neat little house with a garden. The windows are open yet the door is locked. He creeps up silently to the window and listens in on the older couple.

"It's odd, isn't it Rose?" John Evans says, staring at the picture of his late wife. "We got this house together twenty years ago and we thought it was going to be too small for a family of four. Little did I know that it would become so big one day."

He sighs regretfully and looks longingly at the picture on the mantelpiece. It is a picture of the two of them on the lake. She looks so happy…

"It's odd not having one of the girls asking for us to check under the bed for monsters or crying about what the other said. They've grown so apart – what was that?" he says sharply to no one in particular.

The cloaked man moves to the side where he cannot be seen.

John Evans blinks and continues to look suspiciously out the window. "Never mind."

"It hasn't been the same without you darling. Petunia is growing up before my eyes and I haven't seen Lily in months. I miss her so much, she always knows how to make me feel better when I'm sad."

The man outside smirks. Foolish Muggle. Now he can barge in, making a more impressive move or he can simply knock. Yes, knocking will suffice. He will knock, make some pleasant conversation for a moment or two, and then get it over with. He walks over to the doorstep and rings the doorbell.

"I'll be right back dear," he hears John Evans saying from the den. He smirks again and waits. The Muggle is delusional.

He hears the door click and watches as John Evans opens the door and gives him a onceover before smiling warmly. Clearly he cannot see his face.

"I'm sorry, we're not collecting," he says and goes to close the door. However, the cloaked man puts his foot in the way and pushes the door open.

"I am not collecting Mr. Evans," says the man, if you can call him that, harshly. "In fact, allow me to introduce myself. My name, as so many Witches and Wizards know, is Lord Voldemort."

"Lord Voldemort," says John absentmindedly as if trying to see where he has heard the name before. He suddenly remembers and gasps and steps backwards into the hallway. "_You're_ the – _man_ who killed my wife and my in-laws! You nearly killed my daughter you sick bastard!" Voldemort's eyes flash.

"In the flesh," he says, extending a scaly hand. John does not take it but just steps back farther.

"So this is it, right? You're here to finish the job you started."

"I never intended on killing your wife, Mr. Evans. If your Mudblood of a daughter had not moved in time –"

"SHUT UP!" John yells angrily.

Voldemort sneers his snakelike sneer, not that John can see it, however, under his cloak.

"W-why have you come here?" stammers John, suddenly fully grasping the danger he is in.

"Ah, let me explain. You see I have a theory, and that theory is that I need to get rid of people who are in my way. It makes my pathway a lot clearer and simpler. You happen to be one of those people who is an unnecessary obstacle."

"So, enough small talk. As it is I'm on a very tight schedule and I usually don't make house calls this late or stop to talk to my victims. But alas, perhaps you want to see your killers face and know whom killed your wife and _will_ kill your daughter?" He extends two scaly hands and pulls his hood back to reveal a pearly white face, two slits for red eyes, and two slits for nostrils.

John lets out a terrified shriek and bumps into the wall in his haste to get away.

"There is no use running, you will not escape me, no one has," says Voldemort in a high, cold voice. "And no one ever will." He points his wand at John. "_Crucio!"_

John Evans screams and falls to the ground, writhing in pain. It feels as though his entire body is being seared but yet, the pain feels numb in comparison to what he feels every day. In that moment, he makes a decision that he would rather die than go on living without his wife.

Voldemort lifts the curse and sneers at John as though he is scum that walks the earth. Foolish Muggle, ready to die. He is willing to die to "be" with someone he loves rather than live.

"KILL ME!" yells John furiously. "IF YOU'RE WILLING TO KILL MY WIFE YOU CAN KILL ME TOO!"

"If you insist," says Voldemort, inclining his head. "I will without a doubt oblige but not after noting the cowardice that you are. It is a _shame_ that poor Lily Evans will have to wonder why her father died rather than live on for her." John's eyes turn sad and horrified. He has made the wrong decision. He would rather live for Lily than anything else. Him and Rose always agreed to put their children first. And Petunia… "You have made you choice and there is no turning back now. _Avada Kedavra!"_ John Evans is dead before his head hits the floor.

He stows his wand back in his cloak and looks outside. He closes the curtains so no one can see in and locks the doors.

"Bellatrix," he says in his loud clear voice. Before him Apparates a woman of about eighteen years. "Ah Bellatrix, I disposed of the Mudblood's parents. Now, it is time for you to step in."

"Yes, my Lord," murmurs Bellatrix, kneeling on the ground and kissing his feet. "What shall I do with the bodies?"

Voldemort shrugs. "Be creative. Let it hit the Mudblood hard in the gut. Also, send a note to the younger Miss Evans. Tell her that her father will not be able to pick her up at Kings Cross Station. Give an excuse but you must sound…loving," he spits. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, my Lord," she repeats, kissing his feet again. "Anything for you, my Lord."

"I shall meet you back in the Headquarters once you are finished. Until then," he nods and Disapparates with a swish of his cloak.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

As Lily is eating her oatmeal the day before holiday begins, the owl post sweeps in and her owl lands in front of her. This does not surprise her. Ever since her mum's death, her dad has been sending her sweets and letters thrice a week.

"How is your father, Lily?" asks Margaret, pouring herself some coffee.

Her eyes scan over the letter and as she finishes it, her eyebrows are contracted.

_Dear Lily,_

_I are not able to pick you up at Kings Cross tomorrow afternoon. I am very busy at work and my boss will not allow me to leave early. If you could take the subway home, that would be great. I cannot wait to see you face-to-face again._

_Lots of love,_

_Dad_

"Your father isn't picking you up this year?" asks James, who apparently has been reading over her shoulder. Lily glares at him then shakes her head. This is strange in and of itself. Usually her father's boss allows him to take time off to get her. He must have important business to take care of.

"If you want, instead of taking the train that is, I can ask my mum to take us by side-long Apparation to take you home," he offers.

Lily is pensive for a moment. It will be a lot quicker and she would be able to see her dad faster. It would also be a lot safer than taking the subway. After all, a young, petite girl has to watch herself in those sort of places. She nods slowly.

"Okay, that'd be great," she says sincerely. "Thanks Potter."

He smiles and nods and they both look at each other, thinking about the night of the prank. They blush and look away before anyone can think too much into it.

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The next morning almost everyone boards the Hogwarts Express and heads back to Kings Cross for the holidays. Lily is actually looking forward for Christmas with her father this year. Although it would be their first Christmas without her mum, it would give them some quality time together since there would be no Petunia. She cannot wait to tell her father about her year so far at Hogwarts and her Prefect duties and grades. He always enjoyed hearing about how well she does in school. Most of all though, she cannot wait to get away from Potter. He has not been _as_ bad as usual but she needs time to collect her thoughts and a break away from him is exactly what she needs to get her priorities straight.

That is why when she gets off the train later in the afternoon she is in relatively high spirits. She bids goodbye to her friends and they have a group hug before following James and Sirius.

"Hey mum," greets James, pecking his mother on the cheek. He is at least two heads taller than her so he has to bend down to do this.

"Afternoon Dorea," says Sirius with a cocky grin on his face, also pecking Dorea on the cheek. Lily stifles a laugh and Sirius moves aside so Lily can be seen.

"Oh, so _you're_ the famous Lily Evans," says Dorea warmly. "Nice to meet you, dear." She extends a hand and Lily shakes it with a smile. "Well, I've heard so much about you from James, here. It's all he talks about during the summer, 'Lily this' and 'Lily that.'"

She then leans over to her son and whispers, "I full-heartedly approve, James." Even though she is under the impression that Lily has not heard, Lily is having a hard time keeping a straight face. Sirius, however, takes no shame in roaring with laughter. To Lily's surprise, James turns as red as her hair, if not deeper, and suddenly becomes very interested in the hem of his robe.

"All right, dear, we'd best get a move on if we want you home before dawn tomorrow," says Dorea, hitching her purse higher up on her shoulder. "James, you grab my left hand and Lily, you my right. Sirius, you can Apparate and take Lily's stuff with you since you're of age and have your license."

The three nod and do as instructed. Without warning, the four Disapparate and Lily can feel her lungs being constricted and feels as if she is being pulled through an invisible tube. Before she can suffocate, though, she opens her eyes to find herself on her street. She lets in a gasp of air and coughs.

"Very impressive, my dear. It was your first time, correct?" Lily nods. "Hmm, most people throw-up on their first time." Lily bites a retort and looks to her right to sees her trunk and owl cage in a grinning Sirius' hand. She gives him a look and takes it from him.

"Well, goodbye then Lily," says Dorea, giving her a hug. Lily smiles.

"Thank you, Mrs. Potter," she says.

"Oh please, call me Dorea, everyone does. I dare say we'll meet again in the near future." She winks.

"Mum!" groans James. Sirius snorts and Lily pretends like she heard nothing.

"We'd better walk a distance before Disapparating again," suggests Dorea. Lily waves a hesitant goodbye to both James and Sirius, who both grin stupidly, and walks down the street to her house rolling her eyes. Some things will never change.

As she approaches the house she has known and loved all her life, she feels her heart wrench in terror. There is the Dark Mark over it! Breaking into a sprint, she drops her bags in front of the porch and opens the door to a horrific sight.

There is the kitchen table that her parents had won at an auction. On it, however, is not a tasty snack. Instead, there lay a head on a plate surrounded by lettuce and tomatoes, with its eyes open. On the plate is John Evans, posed with a smirk on his faces.

Lily sways where she stands but does not faint before she lets out an almighty:

"!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Dorea, James, and Sirius are at the end of Spinners End when they hear:

"!"

They spin around, each with their wand ready.

James gasps as he looks up at the sky and mentally kicks himself. The Dark Mark! Right above Lily's house! But Lily cannot be…he just saw –

He breaks out in a sprint towards the Evans' house, ignoring the screams from Sirius and his mum not to go in, how it can be dangerous. To hell with danger! Lily is in danger every second that he hesitates and she means too much to him for him to ignore it. He reaches Lily's house in record time, jumps over her trunks and screeching owl cage, and flings open the door. He almost throws-up at the horrific sight. There lay dear Lily on the ground, obviously having fainted from seeing her father's head on a plate surrounded by lettuce and tomatoes.

He hears the distant pounds of feet and cries of anguish. Sirius and his mum have finally arrived. He drops to the ground and tries to shake Lily awake. She is out cold.

"Evans! Evans, please wake up! LILY!" he cries, using her name for the first time. He feels a hand on his shoulder trying to pull him up but he fights it. He cannot leave Lily. Not now. Not ever.

"James, it isn't safe here!" says Sirius. James can hear Sirius' voice shaking and he knows he is right.

"We have to bring Lily home with us and get the Aurors," says James, taking charge. "Mum, you can go to the Ministry since no one is going to listen to us. Sirius, you can take Lily and I by side-long Apparation."

Both nod, not bothering to argue and does as instructed.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily wakes up in an unfamiliar bed some unknown time later with a hot cloth on her head. She has a throbbing headache and her back aches terribly. She opens her eyes slightly and sees a woman standing over her.

"Mum?" she says blearily. She sees the woman's eyes fill with tears.

"No, honey," says Dorea.

Lily's eyes fill with hot tears once she remembers her mum is dead and then reality hits her hard. Her father is also gone now and in the most sadistic way she can possibly imagine.

"Where are Sirius and Po – James?" asks Lily. She notes how foreign his name feels on her tongue. It would be rude though to call him Potter to his mother.

"They're outside waiting," sighs Dorea. "I told them that they couldn't come in until you are feeling up to it."

Lily smiles, touched by her thoughtfulness.

"Could you please send Sirius in?"

Dorea nods and walks to the door and sticks her head out to call in Sirius. He comes in with his hands in his pockets and looks very uncomfortably as Dorea closes the door. He sits down in the chair next to Lily's bed awkwardly.

Lily laughs slightly. "What's wrong with you? You look like you're the ill one!" He cracks a smile but anyone with half a brain can see it does not extend to his eyes. Lily suddenly begins chuckling, then laughing, then almost choking on hilarity.

"What's so funny?" asks Sirius, looking as though he is questioning her sanity. To Lily it makes the situation even funnier.

Lily wipes her eyes. "I know I shouldn't be laughing after the horribleness of it all but…I guess I never expected life to be served to me on a _silver platter_." After Lily says it though she hates herself for it and glares at her hands.

She suddenly looks up and around. "So, this is the famous Potter Manor then?"

"A portion of it anyway," jokes Sirius. Then without planning it he gets up and throws the chair at the wall. Lily jumps and Sirius glares at the wall before repairing the chair with a wave of his wand.

"Sorry," he mutters. "I'm just –"

"Sirius, what's wrong?" asks Lily. "You seem a lot more affected by this then the rest of us. The war I mean."

Sirius sighs and sits down in the chair again.

"I know that it's my cousin Bellatrix who did that to your father," growls Sirius, and Lily's blood runs cold. "She's the only person I know with such a sadistic demeanor. Obviously Voldemort got her to do the dirty work after he killed him. Artistic vision was never up his ally; rather leave him there to rot for eternity. He never really gave a damn. He still doesn't…" He freezes and his eyes widen in shock when he notices Lily is crying.

"Damn it, I'm sorry Ev – Lily," he says, correcting himself. "I didn't mean to upset you…"

"No, it's fine. I'm just overreacting –"

"No, I should have been more tactful. I'm sorry Lily."

Lily chokes out a laugh but Sirius can tell that it is strained.

"Sirius Black with tact? Hell must be freezing over," she teases. She gives him a look. "Really, I'm fine. Continue."

Sirius nods hesitantly and continues like she has asked.

"I loathe my family. Well, except for my uncle Alphard, my cousin Andromeda, who's the sister of Bellatrix and Narcissa, and Andromeda's daughter, Nymphadora Tonks. I think she's about three-years-old now."

"None of my family have been Death Eaters until my _darling_ brother and cousins decided to be ones. My parents feel that Voldemort has the right idea, however, they are too cowardly to join him. They'd rather take the backseat and watch the destruction he's causing."

Lily listens without interrupting. Obviously Sirius has been wanting to get this off his chest for a while but feels it would be too uncomfortable to talk to the other Marauders about it. She is sure they know though how horrible his parents are since they have been friends for the past five and a half years.

Sirius takes a deep breath and lets out a sigh.

"Thanks for listening Lily-bean," he says quietly. "It was nice to be able to talk to someone about all this without any interruptions." He gets up and surprises her by leaning over and kissing her on the cheek. He stands upright again and Lily quickly collects herself before she speaks.

"Can you send James in here?" asks Lily. Before she can correct herself, Sirius gets a goofy smile on his face.

"So he's James now, is he?" he smirks.

"That's his name isn't it?" says Lily, somewhat coolly.

"Well everyone else knows it is but we were all convinced you thought if was Potter, arse, arrogant toerag, wa –"

"Okay! I get it!" cries Lily. "Just send him in please."

Sirius nods with a shadow of a smirk still on his lips and walks over to the door. He opens it and bellows:

"PRONGSIE, YOUR LOVER WANTS TO SEEEEE YOUUUU!"

"You're going to regret that, Sirius Black!" shrieks Lily.

Sirius sneers and says, "You're not even allowed out of bed!"

"Get out of the way, Padfoot," says James smirking and pushing him out of the doorway. "Yes, Evans?"

Lily sighs and runs her fingers through her hair. This is not going to be fun but it is absolutely necessary.

"Potter, you know we have to talk," says Lily seriously. James' cocky grin slides from his face and falls into a grimace.

"Yeah, I know," he says, sitting down in the seat Sirius previously occupied. "But first off, how are you?"

Lily grimaces. How is she? She just walked into her house to find her dad's head on a table like it is a loaf of bread. Now not only will she have to continue to come to terms with her mum's death but now her _dad_ is not there either? How is Petunia going to react. Lily still cannot wrap her mind around the fact that they are orphans.

"Stupid question," she whispers. "But I'm coping. I just can't believe anyone could be so heartless and cruel."

"That's Bellatrix for you."

"You think it's her too?"

James nods vehemently. "Who else could do something so macabre and not give it a second thought?"

Lily has to agree that this is true. The shoe does seem to fit Bellatrix perfectly. But will anything be done to avenge her father's death? If Lily can help it, there will be.

"Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about," Lily says, deciding to change the subject. James nods.

"What do you want to talk about?"

Lily gives him a look. "Well firstly I know we kissed at the Masquerade Ball," she begins, and James looks shocked.

"You – You do?" he falters. She gives him a look again.

"Give me some credit Potter, I'm not a dolt."

"I know that!"

"I was able to put the pieces together once you said that you like Muggle music and that you're a Pureblood." James says nothing. "And there's also the fact that when we were in the Slytherin common room we kissed under your Invisibility Cloak. It's been bothering me for weeks. Where do we stand?"

James sighs and twists his hands agitatedly to avoid running his hands through his hair like Remus had said to. Lily must have noticed because she gives him a searching look but says nothing. In reality, he has no bloody idea where they stand. They are so up and down, hot and cold, olive oil and vinegar! It does comfort him slightly though to think that she has been thinking about it also and that she is not _completely_ against what happened.

"I have no idea," says James honestly. "We have so much history…where does this put us?" he asks, repeating her question.

"I haven't a clue either," replies Lily. "I think it'd be best if we just…forget anything happened."

"W-what?" In a second James whole world shatters around him, all thoughts that she was not against it disappearing and being replaced with anger and heartbreak.

"We should pretend like nothing ever happened between us. I mean, it was just the spur of the moment, right?"

"R-right," says James bitterly. In truth, only the first one had been in the spur of the moment. The second time was slower and blissful. He can still feel and taste her gentle lips on his and hops that as long as he lives he will never forget them, or with any luck he will feel them again.

"Potter? You still with us?" asks Lily. He looks up and nods.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm brilliant," he says harshly. She seems taken aback by his tone.

"What's your issue?"

"Oh, I have no issue whatsoever," he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "No problem _at all_."

"Oh, what's that? I think you have a little sarcasm on your lips," says Lily coolly. (**A/N: From iQuit iCarly**)

James glares at her and says, "I just think it'll be a little difficult to pretend like something that hasn't happened when it so obviously has."

"And there it is! Tell me Potter, who is it so obvious to? No one knows except us!"

"Yeah, I know," says James, once again bitterly.

"You _want_ to tell people?"

"I just want people to know I finally got you to kiss me!"

"You finally _got_ me?" growls Lily, her eyes narrowing into slits. "So that's what I am to you? Some _prize_ to put on display?"

"That's _so_ not what I mean!"

"Then enlighten me, Potter! What _do_ you mean?"

"All I'm trying to say is that maybe we're both not on the same page on what we want! Are you honestly saying that you felt _nothing_ that night we kissed? _Both_ nights?"

Lily gulps. Though she will never admit it to him, she felt more than she cares to share. Those kisses with James were the best of her life and she would not entirely object if he were to kiss her again right here and now.

"Well that's too damn bad, isn't it?" cries Lily, putting up her defenses again. "We're not telling anyone what happened and just _move on_."

"You never answered my question," James says angrily. "Look me in the eyes and tell me that you felt nothing that night. Look at me, Lily!" He reaches out and holds her chin in his hand and rotates her head so she is forced to look into his eyes. More quietly he repeats, "Look me in the eyes and tell me that you felt nothing that night."

"I can't," murmurs Lily, looking away from him, and in that second his heart skips a beat.

"You – _can't?"_ he says hopefully.

"No, James. I felt everything that night and it scares me to pieces. I – I felt like we were the only people in the world in that moment."

"Then stop fighting it," he pleads. "Stop fighting what you're feeling and give me a chance." She shakes her head earnestly. "Why won't you give me a chance Lily?"

"Because if I do…if I do…"

"What?"

"…I may fall for you."

It pains Lily to look in James' eyes and see so much pain and suffering. Some people say the eyes are the window to the soul and that is absolutely true in this circumstance. Lily can also see her own eyes, full of grief, staring back at her as if she is looking in the mirror.

"Lily please…"

"Just go James."

He knows then that as of now, this is not up for debate. He is fighting a losing battle but he has never been more determined to get Lily than now.

"I'll go," he says, getting up. "But I'll never be gone."

He walks out of the room determined and ready to fight for the only thing that matters to him. Nothing has ever been more important to him than this. He _will_ have Lily Evans, not because he wants her as a prize, but because he cannot go on without her.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Days pass by and Lily and James have hardly spoken since that evening that she admitted she felt something too. There have been the occasional "hello", "goodbye" but noncommittal and ominous. Lily can tell James has been brooding and as of late, cannot get her mind off of him. She is sincerely beginning to worry that she is indeed following her word and falling for him. The prospect utterly terrifies her and whenever she finds herself thinking of him, she tries to think of something else instead like schoolwork that she finished early but wishes she had not since it could have been a distraction.

To Lily's annoyance, she has been bedridden for most of her time at the Potter's. She has tried repeatedly to tell Dorea that she does not need to be served from bed but Dorea is just as hardheaded as she is and fighting her has proved fruitless.

So far from what she has seen of the Potter Manor, it is incredibly beautiful and decorated magnificently. It is fancy, yet not overdone like some manors. It is clearly expensive furniture and antiques but it is not boasting or cliché.

It has a great view also. She soon realized that her room overlooks a very large, beautiful garden. There are so many flowers and bushes that could only have been made and kept perfect by magic. She has frequently been seeing James wandering aimlessly through the garden lost in thought and she cannot imagine what he is thinking about.

It is now New Years Eve and also the first day Lily has left her room. She has been having so many mixed, strong emotions these past few days that she has been even more reluctant to leave the room unless she has to go to the bathroom. The past several days have been a fog to her. An unrealistic, confusing fog.

"Good morning everyone," says Lily, walking down the stairs to breakfast. She almost doubles back in surprise. This is the first time she is actually seeing James' younger sister and brother. His sister is very cute and has straight, dark hair similar in color to James' but much neater. Lily knows that one-day if not already, this girl will be breaking hearts. His brother on the other hand is unfriendly and surly looking. He looks as if he has been through hell and back judging by the circles under his eyes. Him and his twin sister look like polar opposites.

Everyone else greets her, albeit James sort of just talks to his plate. Lily tries to ignore it though and takes the seat next to Sirius that is empty. "Thank you again for everything, Mrs. – I mean, Dorea."

"It is no problem at all, dear," says Dorea kindly. "I was just saying to the boys, you'll all be needing to go into Diagon Alley to get some new clothes today because tomorrow evening we're having our annual –"

"Christmas Eve Ball where all the old drunks get together to dance and talk about how the World is such a corrupt place," drones James, and Lily giggles slightly. "What else is new?"

"James Charlus Potter, you know that's not true! You're friends are coming too!"

James shrugs. "It's the same every year."

Dorea rolls her eyes and begins putting plates into the sink that are not being used.

"Why don't you guys go now before it gets too late?" suggests Dorea, drying her hands off. "Mind you, go as quickly as you can and come straight back here. Times like these it isn't wise to linger around. Do not talk to anyone until you check that it's him or her and even then keep caution. Also, keep an eye on your sister and brother, James."

Jessica and Jarred glare identically at their mother.

"Mum, I can take care of myself! I'm 15-years-old!" cries Jessica annoyed, and Jarred nods in agreement.

"I can go to get my clothes _by myself_. I don't need _James_ babysitting me 24/7." James gives him a dirty look.

"That doesn't mean anything! No matter how old you are you're still in danger! And Jarred, you are _not_ to go off on your own. Promise me James that you'll look after your sister and brother while in Diagon Alley!"

"Fine, fine," says James, before either can argue further. "Let's go guys."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

They all arrive in the Leaky Cauldron by Floo Powder. They then step out of the fireplace and find the place to be empty.

"Hey Tom," greets Sirius. "Business not doing to well, huh?"

Tom nods sadly. "I don't suppose you want anything?"

"Sorry, mum wants us to get our stuff quickly and get home," says James sympathetically. "We'll see you later."

Tom nods again and continues dusting his counter.

They all walk out the back door and stand in front of the brick wall. James taps the wall in a certain pattern and Lily watches as it opens into a dome-like entrance. They walk in and Lily is shocked to see the changes that have happened in just a few short months. There are even more wanted signs on shops than before of Death Eaters. Many shops are boarded up now and many people are on the streets ranting and raving. Apparently they are not the only Hogwarts students here today.

"Please sir! My family! MY WIFE AND KIDS HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPED!" a man yells. He reaches out and clings onto the boy's cloak. "Could you please spare some gold for me?"

"Get off of me," snarls Avery, kicking the man off. The man falls back on the ground and he moans in pain. "Come on Severus, I don't need my robes getting dirty by the likes of him."

"You're robes are already dirty," says Sirius loudly. "You're wearing them."

Avery glares at Sirius as he walks up to the homeless man and kneels down beside him.

"Are you okay, sir?"

The man nods and takes Sirius' helping hand to sit up straight. Sirius digs around in his pockets for a moment. He withdraws fifteen galleons.

"Here you go." The man's eyes widen in shock. He takes the money numbly and stares at Sirius in wonder.

"T-thank you, sir," stammers the homeless man. Sirius nods and stands up again. He looks to his left and glares at Avery and Severus.

"I'd say wash your hair Snivellus but it looks like your pal here's personality is dirtier," sneers Sirius.

"At least _I'm_ not a disgrace to my family name," jeers Avery. "I hear your mum officially disowned you and blasted you off the tapestry. Congratulations."

James and Jessica glare at Avery as Sirius makes to whip out his wand but Lily catches his arm.

"Not here Sirius, not now!"

"She's right Black. Why don't you take the Mudbloods advise and not cause anything. You wouldn't want to get _expelled_ now, would you?"

Jessica gasps. She has never met anyone so rude and prejudiced towards Muggleborns. She has to hold James back so he will not lunge at Avery and Lily for Sirius. Jarred, on the other hand, looks unbothered by all of this. Even a bit _bored_.

"Ignore him, he's not worth it," says Lily coolly. "Let's go to Madam Malkin's, it's supposed to be a new shop across from Benjy Fenwick's Quidditch store."

"She's right," says Avery again. "You should go and enjoy yourselves. While you can that is." He tops this off with a smirk.

The other three give him one last contemptuous look and follow Lily to the robe store. Halfway there though, they turn around and see that Jarred is missing.

"Damn it," curses James. "Where the hell did he go?"

"Probably across the street to the Quidditch shop," Jessica says, rolling her eyes.

"Should we go get –" Lily begins but Jessica cuts her off.

"Don't bother, he won't come back. Let him deal with mum, he's always been difficult since –"

They all fall silent and say nothing but everyone can feel the entrance of the elephant in the room.

"Come on, let's go," says James shortly.

They open the door and are immediately bombarded by a middle-aged Witch whom they can only assume is Madam Malkin. She looks slightly disheveled and confused.

"We'd like to purchase some dress robes," says Lily. Madam Malkin nods.

"Let me just go to the back room to look at dress robes your sizes," she says in a dreamy voice.

They all nod and sit down on the pedestals to wait for her. Sirius and James are still fuming.

"Sirius, what was that about back there?" asks Lily, breaking the silence. Sirius looks uncomfortable.

"Well, seeing that man reminded of a time I went out with my parents here when I was five. We saw another man begging in that exact place, begging my parents for money too and they just sneered at him. Once we were home my mum told me to never give my money away to any homeless person, that they're just lay about Wizards. But then my uncle Alphard told me differently one day when I was out with him. He gave the man 100 galleons and you should have seen he's expression. He practically did back flips and when I asked my uncle why he did that he answered me, 'I just did onto others and I would hope others would do onto me.' From that day on I vowed not to be like my parents and more like my uncle."

Lily and Jessica smile and lean their heads on Sirius' shoulder. Sirius looks at James nervously but James pointedly looks the other way. Madam Malkin comes back from the dressing room with some robes for them to try on. Soon enough they have each gotten their desired dress robes and are paying when they hear a:

CRASH!

Lily spins around and sees tall Wizards in cloaks across the street at the Quidditch shop. They are going into the shop and there are bright flashes of light. Lily cannot spot any green and knows that they must be torturing someone for information.

Jarred is in there!

She breaks into a sprint with James on her heels and jumps through the shattered window. With her wand at the ready, all the Death Eaters turn away from their search and stare at her. One big one shoots a stunning spell at her but she deflects it without much thought. The rest just stand there. She looks on the ground and sees Jarred panting. Clearly he was the person they were torturing.

"Where's the list?" asks one tall and lean Death Eater.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," replies Lily coldly. "I've never heard of a list of Quidditch items."

"Don't be stupid, it's a list of the Order," sneers the Death Eater. Lily feels her blood boil. She does not like being called stupid.

"We were tipped off that the list was in here since Benjy Fenwick is part of the group. You can either tell us now where it is or we'll have to get it by force."

Lily smirks. "And I'm sure you'll let me walk away smelling like a rose if I tell you, right? In your dreams."

_Kill her._ Lily jumps as she hears the voice and is sure that the Death Eaters heard it too, for they begin circling around her.

"_Petrificus Totalis_!" cries a voice. The big Death Eater, who had sent the stunning spell Lily's way, falls over with a sickening thud on the ground.

"_Potter!_ Don't be a prat! Get out of here," hisses Lily. James snorts.

"And leave you here alone? Like hell!"

Lily grunts. "I can bloody take care of myself!"

"Doesn't mean I can't help!"

"I don't need or _want_ your help!"

"As entertaining as this all is," says the cold voice of a Death Eater, "we have a job to do. So if you could just –"

"Lay down on the ground and let you kill us? Sorry, it doesn't work that way," sneers James.

The Death Eater shrugs. "Have it your way then. _Avada –_"

"_Expelliarmus_!" shouts Lily. The two spell hit each other and send off golden sparks.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing, Evans?" yells James.

"Saving your arse before I kick it!"

"Is that a threat or a promise?" reverting back to his playful self if only for a split second. "You have to do more than simple disarming! They're out to kill!"

Lily throws up her hands. "I'll do stuff my way, you do it yours!"

The Death Eater tries again, this time at Lily.

"_Avada _-" he repeats.

"Expulso!" cries James. The two spells hit each other and James ducks in time as the spell hits the opposite wall, the result deadly, blowing half the shop apart. This causes mayhem and spells are now flying everywhere. James is off battling three Death Eaters in a corner, Jarred has disappeared, and Sirius and Jessica are nowhere to be found.

Lily on the other hand is off battling a different a Death Eater in a different room. During their duel, however, her hood falls off. Lily's eyes widen. She recognizes this woman from the wanted signs and from the wedding.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," she murmurs, her insides burning with anger. This is the woman who nearly set fire to their house and made the "arrangement" for her father.

"In the flesh," she sneers. "Ah, that's right! You're the Mudblood Evans! Yes, I had very much fun posing your father. How did you like my sweet note and decorations around his head?"

"I think you're _sick_," snarls Lily, dodging the Cruciatus Curse. "I think you're bloody mental and hope that one day you'll get what you deserve. Azkaban will be a nice fit for you."

Bellatrix smirks. "Well, you're not how I pictured you."

"Oh, is that so? How'd you picture me? Laying down for you and calmly asking for death? I would have thought you remembered me from the _wedding_."

Bellatrix sneers. "No, that's what your father did though. He _begged_ for death. He would rather be with your Muggle mum than with you and one day you'll meet the same sticky end as –"

"YOU LIAR!" shrieks Lily. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP YOU DERANGED BITCH!" More angry than she has ever been in her life, she lashes out and knocks Bellatrix off her feet. Bellatrix, as she gets up, is no longer smirking. Instead she has an ugly grimace on her face. She calls for another Death Eater but Lily cannot hear the name over the noise James is creating dueling his own.

Another Death Eater strides forward, possibly a few inches taller than her. He still has his Cloak on so Lily cannot see his face. However, she would know those eyes anywhere…

"_Severus_?" gasps Lily. Severus sighs and nods, pulling his hood off to properly look at her.

"Go on Snape, you can finish the little Mudblood and I'll go off to try and find my dearest cousin," says Bellatrix cruelly. "Perhaps you can work, forgive my pun, _magic_ on her." She cackles at her own joke and strides out. Severus just stands there, looking out of place, and stares at her.

"How could you, Severus?" sighs Lily. "I knew you were always interested in what Voldemort had to say, but you _actually joined him_?"

Severus shakes his head. "Technically no. I haven't been branded with his mark yet. He just wants those who are interested and have proved loyalty already to fully grasp what it takes to be a Death Eater."

"Oh, well once you get branded don't hesitate to tell me and I can send you my congratulations," says Lily sarcastically.

Severus sighs too. "You're mad."

"_Noooo_," says Lily, exaggerating the word. "I just found out that my childhood best friend became – oh, sorry – is _becoming_ a Death Eater, the very people he knows I despise. But no, I'm not mad at _all!"_

Severus gives her a look. "I did this for you, Lily."

Lily looks at him incredulously. "Care to fill me in on how this will help me?"

"The Dark Lord is targeting Muggles, Muggleborns, and Blood Traitors," explains Severus patiently. "By joining his ranks I can protect you."

"I don't need and frankly don't want your protection, Severus," says Lily. "I'd rather die than –"

"Don't say that!" says Severus sharply. "I couldn't live without you."

"You already are. Look Severus, if you're going to kill me do it already. I was never one for small talk when there's a job to be done."

Lily can see his eyes watering against his will but does not say anything else. She just crosses her arms and waits for him to make his move if it will ever come.

"Join us Lily," he pleads. "If you join him you'll be –"

"How _dare_ you?" she shrieks. "After all those years Severus, I would have thought you knew me better! I will _never_ join someone like Voldemort. My loyalties lie, and always will be, in Professor Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore is old. He'll be –" begins Severus.

"Snape! Are you done in there?" calls Rodolphus Lestrange.

Severus sighs. "I'll be out in a minute, I'm just finishing the Mudblood up!"

Now it is Lily's turn for her eyes to get dewy.

"So that's all I am now, huh? Just some Mudblood you have to get out of the way? I should have listened to my friends all along, you never did care about me."

"Don't say that, you know that you're more to me then that."

"They don't though."

Severus looks at her sadly. "I'm so sorry, Lily. _Sectumsempra!"_

Lily falls to the ground, recognizing the curse is the same as Severus has sent earlier in the year at Sirius. She writhes on the ground in pain, preparing to die like so many before her.

Severus wipes his eyes and closes the door regretfully behind him.

"She's done," he says flatly. "Let's get out of here. What we need is obviously not here now."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James, Jessica, Jarred, and Sirius step out of the fireplace with their stuff and Lily's and throw it on the table.

"Are you all okay?" asks Dorea, running into the room. "I heard that there were Death Eaters there! I'm so relieved that you're all okay! Where's Lily?"

The three look around, Jarred having sulked off to his room, and gasp. Lily has not come back with them. James had assumed she was right behind them. How can he have been so daft?

"I've got to go back!" he says. Dorea looks at him shocked.

"What are you talking about? Of course you can't go back! There are Death Eaters there wandering around freely, it's too dangerous!"

"Mum, with all due respect, I can take care of myself! I just had to fight off three Death Eaters and now I _have_ to go back to find Lily."

"I'm coming with you mate," says Sirius, clapping James on the shoulder.

"Me too!" pipes up Jessica. "There has to be _one_ loyal twin!" James smiles slightly at his sister. She is going to be a great Witch some day.

"Oh no," says Dorea, drawing the line. "I might have limited control over what James does but I sure as anything do over you, young lady."

"But mum –"

"No buts. Lily will be safe with James and Sirius."

Jessica stomps away and up the stairs to her bedroom. Once she reaches the third floor they hear a slam.

"Please be careful, James," sighs Dorea, holding his left cheek. "You too, Sirius dear."

"Aren't I always?" smirks Sirius. Dorea rolls her eyes and watches anxiously as the two step back into the fire once more.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Did you take care of the Mudblood?" asks a high, cold voice at the head of the table.

"Yes, my Lord," says Severus, inclining his head slightly. "I used a specialty of mine on her."

"Excellent. Finally that waste of blood will be out of our lives. Now for the rest of them –"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James and Sirius sprint down the smoky street that used to be Diagon Alley to where they last saw Lily.

"She was in the Quidditch store with me," says James, picking up his pace. "It was just the two of us 'cause that bastard left as soon as we came to help him." They run in and see the store worse than they remembered. There is a gaping hole in the wall and shattered glass everywhere.

"Check the backroom," orders James. Sirius nods and James looks around the front.

"Prongs, come back here," says Sirius with a note of panic in his voice.

James looks up sharply and runs to the back of the store frantically. What meets his eyes is ties with what had happened to Mr. Evans except this time he _does_ throw up.

Lily is laying on the floor with Sirius kneeling next to her. Her skin is all cut open and she must have lost loads of blood by now. She looks as good as –

"Evans! LILY! Lily, please, wake up!" shouts James, wiping his mouth and pushing Sirius out of the way. "Lily, no! You can't be – Padfoot, is she -?"

Sirius nods. "She's alive, but only just. I could feel a faint pulse."

James breathes a sigh of relief. She is not – gone and thank Merlin for that but every second they waste is taking a toll on her. They need to get her back quickly.

"How will we take her back? We can't take her by Floo Powder and Apparation will definitely kill her," says James frantically.

Sirius thinks for a moment. He feels Lily's pulse one more time. He looks up again at James and says, "She might just make it by Apparation."

"_Might?"_ squeaks James, sounding oddly like Peter. Sirius nods. "Well, it's the best we've got. You Apparate her back and I'll take the Floo Powder."

Sirius nods and lifts a limp Lily onto her feet somewhat.

"Be careful, Prongs," says Sirius seriously. (**A/N: Sorry!**) "There might still be Death Eaters lurking about."

James nods and with one last fleeting look at Lily, walks briskly out of the shop and back to the Leaky Cauldron.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

By the time James arrives back at his house, Sirius has already arrived and Dorea and Jessica are standing over Lily in her bedroom.

"She's okay?" asks James, walking up to the doorway.

Sirius nods. "Dorea said she'll be fine once she's properly fixed up, but she did lose an awful lot of blood."

James is relieved and is about to thank Sirius when somehow his words and vocal chords get jumbled up and he growls.

"It was Snape," he snarls. Dorea turns sharply around at him.

"What did you say?"

"Snape was the one who did this to her. We saw him and Avery while we were walking down the street once we got there and Avery said – damn, he said to enjoy ourselves while we could! He must have known something was going to happen, that bastard!"

"What else happened?" asks Dorea, giving her son a reproving look.

"Well, we walked down to the new store, Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, right across from the Quality Quidditch Supplies and walked in. Matter of fact she looked kind of confused…they must have put her under the Imperius Curse!"

"Who?" asks Jessica.

"The Death Eaters, of course," says James annoyed. Jessica glares at him and James resists from running his hand through his hair and continues. "So she got us our robes and came back –"

"Merlin's beard! It all makes sense!" cries Sirius suddenly. Everyone looks at him. "Have you all stopped to notice that the past two events have been to get to Lily? First her father's head on her kitchen table to freak her out and hopefully give her a heart attack and now they happen to be right across the street from us, where we said we'd be, very stupidly I might add. It all fits!"

"Yes, but they were already planning on going there for some list," pipes up Jessica. They all notice how after she says this Dorea's face seems to drain of any remaining colour.

"Madam Malkin must have gone to the back to send them a message while getting us robes," said James. "Anyway, after that we ran across the street because they were torturing Jarred –"

"_What?"_ Dorea shrieks. "You were supposed to be watching him, James!"

"It's not my fault that he decides to run off whenever he pleases because he doesn't like me!" James snaps.

"You're his older brother! You're supposed to set an example and watch him regardless!"

"You know as well as I do that John was the only one who could keep him in line!"

Silence follows the proclamation and Dorea's eyes well up with tears for her long gone son. James immediately regrets his outburst and apologizes.

"What else happened?" chokes out Dorea, and Jessica gives her a reassuring hug.

"Well, we dueled for a while," explains James. "I saw someone go into the backroom and then soon after Bellatrix came out. It wasn't the same person though, the other was taller and had a hood on. _Snape._"

Dorea sighs. "You're going to have to tell Professor Dumbledore all of this, you know. He has to know what happened, as does your father. I sent for them both, they should be coming soon."

As if on cue, there is a knock on the door downstairs that echoes throughout the house. James, Sirius, and Jessica bound down the stairs but James reaches the door first. He points his wand at it.

"Who is it?" he calls outside.

"It is I, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts accompanied by Charlus Potter, Minister of Magic," says Professor Dumbledore. "We are here on the request of Dorea Potter, mother of seven children, John, 22 and deceased; Jacob, 20; Jade, 19; Jack, 18; James, 16; Jarred, 15; and Jessica, 15. I founded the Order of the Phoenix and my favorite Muggle sweet is a lemon drop. My Patronus is a Phoenix and –"

"Okay, you can come in," says James, opening the door. "Although yours and our life story was quite interesting."

Albus Dumbledore smiles and Charlus laughs before turning serious.

"Where's your mother?" he asks.

"Upstairs tending to Lily," replies James. Charlus nods and runs upstairs surprisingly fast for a man of his age.

"I'll need to do separate interviews with each of you, including Lily once she's awake," says Professor Dumbledore matter-of-factly.

"Can't Lily wait until –" begins Sirius.

"Later? I'm afraid not. Numbing the pain that has been inflicted on her will only make it worse when it's hit at her. I'm aware also that she's still recovering from her parents' messy death?" All three nod. "Yes, your cousin Bellatrix, Sirius, has always been known to enjoy playing with her food before she eats it."

Sirius tenses up and then nods curtly. Professor Dumbledore sighs.

"You don't mind if we step out of the doorway, do you, James? Such dangerous times it is unwise to linger on thresholds."

James quickly nods his assent and closes the door after him. "Please, sit down. Can I get you anything."

"Thank you but I am quite fine," says Professor Dumbledore politely. They wait in silence for a while until Dorea and Charlus come down.

"Good afternoon, Albus," says Dorea, shaking his hand. "Can I get you anything?"

"No, thank you my dear lady, your son has already offered. I was actually wishing if I could speak to all five of the children?"

Dorea hesitates for a moment and looks up the stairs as if to look at Lily.

"It will only be brief. I just really need to know what happened so I can inform the rest of the Order."

Dorea nods. "Would you like to talk down here to these three and go up to Lily, or -?"

"That will be perfect, thank you."

Dorea nods and walks out of the room with her husband.

"I'll speak to Sirius first, please?" says Albus politely. James and Jessica nod and step out of the den. "Hello Sirius, you must not be too happy right now," says Albus sympathetically.

"You could say that," says Sirius, more harshly than intended. "Sorry, sir."

"Quite all right, m'boy. I would not be thrilled either if my family is involved on the other side. Now, were you with Mr. Potter and Miss Evans the whole time?"

"No, sir. While James and Lily ran across the street, I had stayed in the robe shop with Jessica and was preparing to head back here. Seeing as Dorea had wanted James to watch her and Jarred but James was a bit busy at the moment with Jarred –"

"I understand, you acted bravely on your part and as if she was your own sister. Did you come straight back though?"

"No, Madam Malkin must have been under the Imperius curse and held us back. We didn't get free until Jessica managed to stun her. She won't get in trouble right, since it was for defense?"

"Quite right. If that's all, could you please send Jessica in?"

Sirius nods and walks out of the room. A moment later Jessica comes in and sits down in the same seat Sirius had been sitting in a few moments prior.

"Good afternoon, Jessica. How are you today?" asks Albus kindly.

"I'm okay, sir but a little shaken," says Jessica calmly. She has spoken to the Headmaster on one occasion before when she had turned a classmates hair bubblegum pink. "And you?"

"Not bad and it is understandable that you are shocked from the events that took place today. Sirius tells me that you and him were held captive for a while by Madam Malkin?"

Jessica nods. "I'm not going to be expelled for using magic to defend us, will I?"

"Not at all." Jessica looks relieved. "I must ask though, once you and Mr. Black escaped from Madam Malkin, did you come straight back here?"

Jessica shakes her head. "We were running around trying to find James for a good fifteen minutes because it looked like the Quidditch shop was deserted."

Albus nods. "Thank you, Jessica. That will be all. Would you mind telling your brother to come in?"

"Which one?"

"My apologies. I wish to speak with Jarred."

Jessica nods and walks out and several minutes later, in walks Jarred. He sits down and waits impatiently.

"Hello Jarred," the headmaster says softly. "How are you?"

"Brilliant," Jarred says, drily. He has never had much respect for authority but Professor Dumbledore has experienced this before. He does, after all, have a younger brother with the same issues. "Why do you need to talk to _me?"_

"You see, Jarred, I am trying to piece together what happened today and everyone's story is proving valuable for that. I was wondering if you could tell me what you saw during your time in Diagon Alley."

Jarred sighs, looking as though he wishes he can be anywhere but here. Professor Dumbledore seems to dismiss this though and waits patiently for him to begin.

"When we got to Diagon Alley we ran into a couple of Slytherin blokes; Severus Snape and Erebus Avery, and they were throwing around names –"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you but what kind of names?" asks Professor Dumbledore.

"They called Lily Evans a Mudblood and were insulting Sirius about his family."

Professor Dumbledore nods grimly and indicates for Jarred to continue, which he does wearily.

"Avery told us that we should enjoy our time while we can so we left after that and I broke apart from the others to go to the Quidditch shop."

"And why would you do that?" asks Professor Dumbledore, however, not condescendingly. For a moment Jarred is expecting a lecture from the aging Wizard but when he does not get one he replies easily.

"I prefer going places on my own. Then I can be myself and don't have to put up a false act for anyone."

"And by false act do you mean you do not then have to pretend that you are coping with the death of your brother, John?"

Jarred's eyes turn dark and he glares at Professor Dumbledore, as if amazed by his audacity to bring the subject up. He has never talked about his brother's death with anyone, even if they tried to broach the subject. It is a sore topic for him, as it would be for anyone.

"Yes, I suppose I do," says Jarred with a hint of coldness in his voice. "I don't suppose you would know how that feels?"

Although Albus Dumbledore does not outwardly show it, Jarred struck a nerve. If he was not so controlled with his emotions he may have lashed out there but he does not. Instead he stares calculatingly at the young boy who has much to learn.

"No, I do not know the feeling of losing a role model," Professor Dumbledore speaks, softly. "However, I do know the feeling of losing a loved one, particularly my sister when she was only fourteen."

"I'm sorry," apologizes Jarred hastily. Albus Dumbledore shakes his head though and continues with the interview as though nothing was said.

"What happened when you went into Benjy Fenwick's shop?"

"Well, it was dark. Benjy, himself, was no where to be found and I was about to leave when suddenly the lights came on and I was surrounded by a group of Death Eaters." He stops then.

"Did they say anything to you?" Professor Dumbledore prompts.

Jarred nods. "They were talking about a list. A list of Order members that is supposedly hidden in Benjy Fenwick's shop. Is this true, sir?"

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you the whereabouts of the list, Mr. Potter but I can assure you that it no longer resides in Mr. Fenwick's shop." Jarred nods and continues.

"They tortured me for it. They – they used the Cruciatus Curse and it hurt like hell. I've never felt so much pain before in my life except for when John died. That was worse."

"And then they started taunting me about him, saying how I would be joining him soon. I yelled at them to shut up but they just laughed at me and that's when Lily and James came running in. They started dueling with the Death Eaters and I got the hell out of there because I knew I wouldn't be able to stand a chance against them."

He stares at Professor Dumbledore, as if daring him to reprimand him for running out of there like a coward. He does not though and instead says:

"I think you are selling yourself short, Mr. Potter. You are a very capable Wizard and I believe that you can hold your own in a duel. Perhaps it was wise though to get out of the crossfire and let your brother and Lily handle them."

Jarred flushes a dull pink and looks annoyed that credit is being given to James but says nothing.

"Did anything else happen?"

"I went looking for the others and soon found my sister and Sirius and we then went looking for James and Lily because by then the place looked deserted. We finally found James and only realized after we got home that Lily had not come with us. I think then James and Sirius went back to look for her. That's when I think they found her in the back room of the Quidditch shop. She was bleeding to death."

"Thank you for your time, Jarred," says Professor Dumbledore. "Would you please send James in?"

The younger Potter nods and walks out. A second later James walks in and sits down.

"So James, could you tell me exactly what happened when you first arrived in Diagon Alley?"

James recounts the story exactly as it happened and adds his suspicions in as well. Albus listens intently the whole time and does not say anything until the end. James, unlike his younger brother, goes through his story quickly and to the point.

"So, you believe Mr. Snape was the one who cursed, Lily?"

James nods. "I recognized that curse from when he used it on Sirius earlier this year."

"Yes, I quite agree, but did you actually _see_ his face?"

James shakes his head. "His hood was up the whole time I was there."

"Okay, James. It seems as though only Lily will be able to tell us then if it was him or not."

"Sir, could I ask you something?" Albus nods. "Why can't I join the Order yet? I know that you know that I'd willingly do anything to help."

Albus sighs. "I had a feeling you would ask me that, and not only because I am a Legilimens." James smiles slightly. "You know I have my reasons, James, one of them being that you must be at least seventeen and out of Hogwarts. Secondly, there are dangers beyond anything you have imagined."

James says, "With all due respect sir, I think I have an idea what is out there."

"Do you know what the Death Eaters were looking for in Benjy Fenwick's shop?"

James hesitates. "I've heard my parents mentioning a list, but that's all."

Albus nods. "That's a good portion of it. You see, everyone who knows about that list is in constant danger. A good amount of the Order has had to go into hiding because of it. Their families are in constant danger and you're parents don't want you in the midst of it when you're not even a qualified Wizard yet. The last thing we need is one of you kids being sent to Azkaban."

James nods, not completely convinced but admitting defeat for now. Albus clapped his hands together and stands up.

"Would you like to accompany to me to question Miss Evans?"

James nods and follows Professor Dumbledore out of the den. They walk up the staircases and he knocks on the door and they hear a faint, "come in."

Albus opens the door and walks over to sit down in the chair next to Lily's bed, James on the edge of Lily's bed.

"Hello Miss Evans," says Albus quietly.

"Hello sir," says Lily, smiling weakly. "I suppose you want to interview me about what happened?"

James smiles. Lily never misses a trick when it comes to people's motives. She is very intuitive in that sense, as well as many others.

"Quite correct, I only have a few questions though and then I'll let you then get some rest," says Albus, kindly. "Now, while Mr. Potter here was off dueling his own Death Eaters, whom were you dueling against?"

"Bellatrix Lestrange," says Lily without missing a beat. "Her hood fell off half-way through."

"And did she say anything to you?"

Lily nods. "Mostly taunting me about my parents. Other then that she was firing mainly Unforgivable curses at me." Albus nods.

"Was anyone else there?" asks James quickly. "Did she summon anyone in _particular?"_

Lily looks at James coolly, knowing fully well his intentions. "Not that I am aware of Potter."

"What do you mean not that you are aware of, you were there!"

"If you remember correctly I was knocked unconscious."

"Was it Ms Lestrange who knocked you out?" asks Albus.

Lily thought for a moment. "Now that I'm remembering better…I think she called someone else. A man –"

Albus leans forward. "Did you see his face?" James waits with baited breath.

Lily shakes her head a little too quickly.

"No, his hood never fell off. I don't remember how his voice sounded."

James grunts. "Yeah, you've only known it for five years."

Both Albus and Lily turn to look at James. Lily narrows her eyes.

"It seems like Potter has something to say. Care to share, Potter?"

"Oh no, I've got nothing at _all_ to say that could have been useful for the _Order_!" says James, stressing the last word as he glares at Lily. Lily glares back at him and Albus quickly intervenes.

"Thank you, Lily," says Albus, standing up. "I'll let you get some sleep now. Coming James?" he asks as he puts one hand on the doorknob.

James shakes his head. "I'd just like a word with Lily. I'll see you tonight at the Christmas Eve Ball, sir?"

Albus nods and walks briskly out of the room, closing the door softly. James rounds on Lily.

"I can't believe you protected him!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," says Lily harshly.

"Cut the crap Evans, I know you saw Snape in that shop and I know he's the one who inflicted these scars on you."

"How would you know?"

"Because he did the same bloody thing to Sirius!"

Lily forgot about that incident up until now but holds her ground.

"He's just a kid –" she begins.

"Who happens to be a Death Eater!" shouts James. "Merlin Evans, sometimes you're so oblivious to what's right in front of you!"

Lily growls. "The world isn't painted black and white, Potter! It's not good people and Death Eaters! Severus is just a good person who happens to make bad decisions!"

"He's up to his bloody nose in Dark Arts! He called you a you-know-what last year and you're _still_ helping him! That makes _you_ as good as a Death Eater. At least in my book!"

Lily's eyes flash and even though she is still weak, she has enough energy to swing back and slap him. He stares at her in shock and clutches his smarting cheek.

"Don't you _dare_ compare me to the people who killed my parents! Plus, your opinion means absolutely nothing to me!" she lies.

James snorts. "Good to know. At least you have your priorities straight."

"Get out," says Lily venomously. Even though she did not scream, James knows that is the next step so he stands up and stalked out.

"Bloody Death Eater," he mutters. Lily picks up the glass next to her bed and throws it at his head. He ducks just in time and it crashes outside on the wall. James slams the door shut and Lily exhales. She regrets losing her temper and rolls over, desperately trying to get some rest.

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After a long heated debate and several threatening warnings, Lily has finally gotten Dorea to allow her to still attend the Christmas Eve party. So that is why at seven o'clock that evening as she dresses in a bright blue dress with her hair down and straightened in clips, with a touch of blue eye makeup, she is beyond excited. It is her first time at a party where there are very important people and she wants to look nice. At seven twenty five she walks down just as people are starting to file in slowly. The people coming in are older Witches and Wizards and the only one she recognizes is Albus Dumbledore.

"Good evening, Lily," he says cordially. "I trust you're feeling better?"

Lily nods. "Dorea allowed me to come after I had begged her for hours."

Albus smiles. "Yes. Oh, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine, Bathilda Bagshot. Bathilda, this is Lily Evans."

An older woman appears next to him and smiles warmly at Lily and shakes her hand.

"Good evening, Lily," she says. "Goodness me, I don't mean to be rude but wherever did you get those scars?"

Lily smiles weakly. "A little accident with a few stray Death Eaters."

Bathilda shakes her head sadly. "A pity what the Ministry is failing to keep behind bars. So tell me, Lily, what would you like to do once you leave Hogwarts?"

Lily replies, "I'd like to perhaps be a Healer or an Auror."

Bathilda nods. "I'm sure you'd be an excellent fit for either opposition. Please do excuse me, I have to go find Alastor Moody and ask him where he obtained that eye of his."

She walks off with Albus, after bidding farewell to Lily, following her. Lily looks around and sees Sirius and James opening and closing the door as people come in. She looks to her right and then is engulfed by a lot of brown hair.

"Lily!" cries Margaret, hugging her tightly. "Oh my god, I heard what happened to you! Are you all right?"

"I. Can't. Breathe!" chokes Lily, trying to remove Margaret's strangling arms. Margaret hastily backs off sheepishly then gives her a gentler hug.

"So are you okay?" repeats Margaret concerned.

Lily nods. "Just a bit sore. I guess I didn't do such a good job hiding up my cuts. Now I look like Alastor Moody!"

A voice behind her laughs and she turns to see Marlene and Alice standing there, grinning at her. She hugs them both.

"So it was Snape?" growls Alice, and Lily sighs.

"Come with me, I have _a lot_ to tell you," she says. The three girls nod and follow her to a secluded table.

They sit down and Lily tells them about everything that happened in Diagon Alley to what James has said. She leaves out, however, the death of her father, which none of them seem to be aware of.

"So you didn't tell Dumbledore about Snape?" asks Marlene. Lily shakes her head. "I'm not so sure you did the right thing, Lily. I mean, I know you and Snape used to be close friends but –"

"Look, I know I'm not friends with him anymore but the fact of the matter is, the world isn't painted black and white! I'm going to tell you what I told Potter and that is, Severus is a good guy who just made bad decisions!"

"That may be to true, Lily, but you're still helping Voldemort by keeping another one of his Death Eaters out of prison," says Alice quietly.

"Professor Dumbledore knows about Bellatrix," says Lily, stubbornly.

"And Bellatrix has got a brain in her head," says Margaret. "Look, I'm not saying I'm a fan of her work or anything about her but she's no idiot. She knows what she's doing and who to avoid. She may be evil but she's an evil genius."

"Evil genius? It seems we're talking about my dear cousin," says Sirius, grinning down at the four girls.

"Sod off, Black," snarls Marlene. Sirius smirks and sits down next to her.

"And miss and opportunity to talk about girlie things, _never_!"

Lily rolls her eyes. "Well we can always talk about _bras_ with you –"

Sirius jumps up automatically. "And that's my cue to leave. Peace out, girlies!" He runs off and the other girls start laughing.

"Good going Lily, you've scarred him for life," says Remus, taking Sirius' seat. "Now we'll never hear the end of that."

Lily grins and hugs Remus. "Sorry about that. How's your holiday been, Remus?"

"Not bad. Not as interesting as yours is, I'm afraid," he says, grinning sheepishly. Lily grimaces and looks away.

Remus exchanges a look with Margaret that asks, "Still a sore topic?"

Margaret nods mutely and Remus smiles at her. Butterflies erupt in her stomach and she returns the smile. He then returns his glance to Lily.

"So anyway, how's it been being under the same roof as two of the Marauders? It's been big news now around the Hogwarts students."

Lily groans. "Great, just what I need. More gossip circulating about me and Potter. They don't even know the half of it." Her friends look at her confused but thankfully, James appears and diverts their attention elsewhere.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," smirks James. "Thanks to you, Padfoot is now taking refugee in the closet."

Lily shrugs. "You know what they say. There's no place like home."

Everyone laughs and James said, "The sad thing is, you're probably right. Good one, Evans."

She glares at him, still sore about the Death Eater comment, and then turns around to face her friends again. Remus holds back a laugh at James' face and pulls him away before he can do anything stupid.

"What are the odds that you'd not kill me if I said you should forgive, James?" asks Alice.

"Not high."

"Never mind, then."

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A/N: Please review!


	10. Rumours, Forks, and Necklaces

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 10 – Rumours, Forks, and Necklaces

"She didn't _die?"_ rings the cold voice. "_Crucio!"_

Severus Snape writhes on the ground in pain. The Dark Lord relaxes the grip he has on his wand and paces back and forth.

"I know you didn't do that curse to its full power like you had to the Black boy," says Voldemort, more to himself than to Severus.

"No, My Lord –"

"_Liar_," hisses Voldemort. "The Dark Lord knows you're lying Severus Snape and he does not tolerate liars. _Crucio!"_

Severus yells in agony again and once the curse is removed once again, lays panting on the ground. Voldemort begins pacing irritably again.

"We'll find another way to get to her. One that's surefire and easy to gain success in. In other words, we need to take someone close to her. Who's close to her, Snape?"

Severus sighs and thinks for a moment. He hesitates.

"I guess her friends but she's becoming a little friendlier with _Potter_," he spits the last word. A smirk forms on Voldemort's face.

"Ah, she's friends with the Potter brat?" he sneers. "Excellent. I have an idea Snape and you can help…"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So? How do I look?" asks Sirius, walking out of the bathroom that is connected between both James and Lily's room. The party has ended at midnight and it is now one o'clock in the morning. Remus and Peter, who had come to the party, are staying with the Potter's and Lily for the rest of the holiday.

"I think I've gone blind because I'm pretty sure, Pads, that you haven't had a sex change in the last several hours," says James horrified. He still has not changed from his earlier clothes except now his white shirt is unbuttoned and his tie is hanging loosely around his neck. But back to the problem at hand. Sirius has obviously stolen one of Lily's bras when she was not looking and is now strutting round, no shirt on, with it. It is a pink, lacy one that Margaret had gotten in their third year for Lily. Lily rarely wears it but keeps it because Margaret says that it makes her more "woman-like".

"Seriously, Pads, take that off!" cries Remus. "Lily's going to _murder_ you when she sees that _you_ stole one of her –"

The door swings open and slams into the wall. Lily strides in irritably.

"Okay, which one of you flatfoots stole my – SIRIUS ORION BLACK!" she shrieks, her eyes wide in horror. James and Peter roar with laughter and Remus tries to keep himself from smiling. Sirius, on the other hand, is backing up in fear of the raging, rambunctious, red-faced, redhead.

"GIVE. THAT. TO. ME. _NOW_," snarls Lily, extending a hand to receive her bra.

Sirius takes the bra off and hands it sheepishly to Lily.

"Good going Evans, I think you've actually gotten him back to normal," smirks James. "You've managed something in under three minutes that we've been failing to do for the past five and a half years."

Lily gives him the evil eye and stalks out, muttering to herself. James sighs and turns to see his friends staring at him. He rolls his eyes.

"It's obvious something's on your minds so you might as well ask it," he says coolly. They are taken aback by his sudden coolness and it is Peter who spoke up bravely. He is a Gryffindor also, after all, even if it is still a mystery why.

"You never did tell us why Lily is suddenly all harsh to you," he says. The piercing look James gives him sends him right back into his scared form again. James sighs again.

"Sorry Wormy," he says sincerely. "It's just…I-I…"

Remus interrupted him. "James, cut to the chase. What did you do?"

"Why do you always assume it was me?" he asks innocently.

Sirius rolls his eyes, having recovered from his fear of Lily.

"When is it _not_ you?" he asks, pulling on a t-shirt that looks far too tight to be allowed. James glares at him. "Well, is it not you?"

James averts his eyes. "No, it is."

"What did you _do_, James?" repeats Remus seriously. He has noticed, as has Lily, that James is not running his hands through his hair anymore and his ego, the size of Asia, has lost a lot of its population. What can be the problem?

"Well…I…I, well after Dumbledore left from interrogating her that day…well, I stayed with her and I called her a…" James mutters something incoherent.

"What was that?"

James sighs loudly. "I called her as good as bloody Death Eater!" Remus, Sirius, and Peter gasp.

"Prongs, how _could_ you?" cries Sirius. James is surprised. Usually Sirius is not the one to be reprimanding him on tact and all that. That spot is typically reserved for Remus who tends to be the only one _with_ tact in their group.

"He's right, Prongs, as scary as that is…That's ridiculous not to mention _not_ true," says Remus, calmer than Sirius. James cannot resist; he runs his hands through his hair irritably. Remus rolls his eyes.

"I know it's not true but I was pissed off!" says James, now pacing back-and-forth. "She bloody protected Snape! He's probably off helping Voldemort as we speak!"

Remus sighs too. "He used to be her friend, Prongs…"

"It doesn't matter! He still is working for the person who killed her parents _and_ John!" They are silent for a few moments. James rarely speaks of his brother and it is only recent that he has mentioned him.

"Yes, but have you ever stopped to think that maybe there was more to their friendship then met the eye?" Remus asks finally.

James freezes. His mind is practically twisting and turning in millions of different directions. He has seen the way Snape looks at Lily. Like she is, or now _was_, his property; a look of lust always evident in his eyes. A look that was never returned or noticed by Lily. They had been friends since before the two came to Hogwarts and he was most likely the only person she had during their summer holiday. But…she could not feel the same way…At least not anymore…

"Prongs, mate?" says Sirius concerned. James is shaken from his thoughts. "Are you all right?"

James does not say anything but bolts out of the room, not noticing the worried looks his friends are exchanging.

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**-Meanwhile-**

There is a knock on her door and she looks up from the magazine she is reading.

"Who is it?"

"Jessica!"

Lily smiles and tells her to come in. James' younger sister walks in smiling. Lily has grown exceptionally fond of Jessica during her time at the Potter residence. They have an awful lot in common, besides being the only girls in the house. She is also very funny and very kind. Lily also noticed that she has the same beautiful eyes as James does…wait, what?

"What's up?" Lily asks, shaking herself out of her jumbled thoughts. "I would have thought that you'd be asleep by now!"

Jessica grins. "My friends have always called me a nocturnal freak. Also, seeing as you're the only person who probably won't kick me out of the room I figured you might want some company."

Lily laughs and then smiles. "You're right. It's not easy being under the same roof with four boys, one of which gets on my last nerve."

Jessica suddenly becomes serious.

"Lily, how come you hate my brother so much?" she asks, sitting down in the chair next to her bed. Lily is taken aback. "I mean, sure he's obnoxious, arrogant, egotistical, odorous after Quidditch, an asshole…"

"Oh, well when you put it that way," says Lily sarcastically. Jessica smiles again.

"He's also can be funny when he wants to be, occasionally sweet, and I guess there's no use in denying him _not_ being ugly. I'm sure you know that, though," she says with a wink, and Lily blushes. How much does this girl know?

Regardless, Lily cannot help but feel a certain connection with Jessica. She seems to acknowledge all the feelings she thinks about James and yet, she has lived under the same roof with him all of her life. Well, there _is_ no use in denying him not being ugly…

"It still doesn't change the fact that he can be a bullying toerag," says Lily stubbornly. It is an empty argument though because James has not started any fights this past year unless provoked. Jessica laughs. Lily cannot help but notice that she has the feminine version of James' laugh. This does not help.

"Yes, I've heard _that_ argument far too many times," she says, wiping her eyes from laughing so hard.

Lily arches an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Jessica sighs. "Oh Lily, can't you see how much James adores you? He practically glows like a jack-o-lantern every time you walk in the room! You should hear him every summer when he gets home going on about Lily-this and Lily-that. He might as well pop the question!"

Lily blushes slightly but also rolls her eyes and laughs derisively.

"Is that why he said I am as good as a Death Eater?"

Jessica gasps. "So _that's_ why you've been cold every time he comes into the room. Hmm…I guess I've left mental off my list. Anyway, the point is –"

"Oh, there's a point to all of this?" says Lily, somewhat coolly.

"Yes," retorts Jessica. "The point _is_ we can go back-and-forth all day listing all of James' faults. Trust me, I'm damn sure we're both that stubborn. _Or_ you could open your eyes to what's right in front of you and realize James is more than what first meets the eye."

"I'm still not going to like him anymore," says Lily, crossing her arms. She will not let herself.

"Lily, what have past relationships been like for you?"

Lily hesitates. "Lousy because I think all of the guys were afraid that Potter would hex them into oblivion if they get near me. I have dated a few though, but it ended mainly because they were suck-ups and to be quite frank, it got annoying as hell."

Jessica seems happy that they have finally reached her golden point. "Exactly Lily! Exactly! Now _this_ is my final point and then I'll leave you be."

"You shouldn't settle for someone who kisses up to you all the time. Wait for the guy who knows how to make you angry and does so on a regular basis. The guy who will be honest with you and tell you if you look ridiculous or that you're acting stupid. Because love was never meant to be easy. It was meant to be worth it (**A/N: I got this from PottedLilies story. It is not mine**). Can you think of anyone who fits with that?" Her eyes are twinkling and a smile is playing on her lips.

Lily opens her mouth then closes it, realizing she does not want to admit that she does have someone who fits with that whole statement. Does James really glow up whenever she walks in the room? Could he possibly be _in love_ with her? Jessica seems to know what is going on inside of her head and beams widely. As if on cue, the door opens and Lily is momentarily relieved for the interruption until she sees whom it is.

"What are you doing in here?" asks James sharply, glaring at his sister. Jessica smirks.

"Girl talk. Something you and Sirius have on a regular basis." Lily stifles a laugh as Jessica gets up and with a fleeting smile, leaves the room, taking care to bump her brother on the way. James rubs his shoulder.

"She always was the evil one in our family," he says more to himself than Lily. Lily laughs.

"She's nice. It's nice to talk to someone with the same opinion of you as me."

James' eyes narrow but he does not immediately say anything. He then snorts.

"Figures you'd be able to talk to my siblings about how much you hate me."

"I don't hate you," said Lily diplomatically. "I just – you confuse me sometimes."

This peaks James' interest and he spins the chair around, sitting on it with the back facing Lily. He leans his arms on it.

"How do you mean?"

Lily blushes scarlet, which he notes. He also notes that her nose turns an even darker shade of red than the rest of her face when she blushes. He finds this adorable.

"You just…throw me off guard," she mutters. "I feel like I don't really know you or what to expect from you."

James hesitates. "Good," he finally says with a playful smile. "Are you still mad at me?"

"A bit," Lily admits. "I've cooled off a little though."

"I'm sorry for calling you a – well, you know," James says embarrassed. "I was way out of line. I should have taken into consideration that you and Snape were once good friends."

Lily calculates him for a minute and then smiles, causing his stomach to do a back flip and his heart rate to increase. If he does not watch it, Lily Evans is one day going to stop his heart.

"I forgive you," she says sincerely. She leans forward to hug him and he wonders if she can feel his heartbeat. _He_ can practically hear it and what she does next nearly has it pop out of his chest.

She draws back slightly and kisses him on the cheek, causing his face to burn at the place she kissed. He touches his cheek and she blushes also, having realized what she has done.

"S – Sorry," she stammers, worried that he will misinterpret it. James grins though.

"No worries, I'm not complaining," he jokes, lightening the mood.

James knows though that this hardly changes where they stand at all. Even though he hates to admit it at the peaks of their fury towards each other, Lily really is a marvelous gem. He loves her smile and the way she laughs, especially on those seldom occasions at his jokes. He loves her perfectly heart-shaped face and every freckle, down to the tiny one on her perfectly shaped nose. She has the most beautiful shade of reddish-orange hair and he loves how when it catches the light, it flashes gold. He can stare into her emerald green eyes forever and never desire to avert his gaze. She is very petite, but not too much so like she was at the beginning of the year, and he thinks it is adorable how she only reaches up to his chest, yet she always holds her ground whenever they fought. However, the thing he loves most about her is that she is never selfish but always compassionate, excluding when directed at himself. She is helpful to everyone and no matter what someone's flaw may be, she always sees the best in them and makes sure they did too. She is smart, witty, and does not take crap from anyone, especially him. She stands up for what she believes in and makes sure no one has a question on her beliefs. She does not care about all the inner-house rubbish, especially considering she has been a friend of Snape's for so many years even though they had been separated. Snape… The reason he was here and the reason he should get back to so he does not stand here for the rest of his life thinking about all of Lily's perfections.

"You still with us, Potter?" asks Lily, somewhat concerned. He has been staring at her for the past ten minutes as if he can see right through her and it is beginning to unnerve her.

James shakes his head to keep a blush from forming on his face. "Yeah, sorry. I must have zoned out for a moment."

"I don't mean to sound like a bitch but…what are you doing in here?" she asks, crossing her arms. "I thought we weren't talking."

"I'd like to point out, flower, that it is _you_ who hasn't been talking to _me_. Not vice-versa," grins James. His grin extends when he sees the effect of his nickname for her.

"Don't call me that."

"Why not? It suits you perfectly. Delicate but able to withstand the toughest of circumstances." Lily blushes again and stares defiantly back at him. She does not say anything so James continues.

"Also, since when do you care if you act like a bitch? You constantly go off at me like one whenever you feel like it."

Lily glare intensifies. "Are you going to stand there insulting me or get on with the reason you actually came here?"

"I actually came here to ask you a question."

Lily arches an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

James sighs, wondering how he can phrase this so she will not find a way to twist it. He thinks for a moment, disregarding the impatient look on her face.

"Were you and Snape ever more than friends?" he asks finally. He decided that he might as well just come out and say it.

Lily looks affronted, obviously expecting that to be the last thing he would ever ask her. To be honest, it is the last thing he ever expected himself to be approaching her about.

"What kind of question is that?" she hisses at him. "Look, I loved Severus. Don't look at me like that. I loved him like you love Jessica. Like a sibling and nothing more."

James sighs in relief and does not intend to tell her how everyone can see the feelings are not mutual in that way until she asks:

"Why do you care anyway? It's not like we were ever going to date or anything. We don't like each other that way."

James lets out an exasperated sigh and though he knows it is a mistake says, "Ev – Lily, for someone so exceptionally bright you're so blindsided!"

Instead of snapping at him like she normally would have done, she tilts her head to the right and looks him up and down. He can feel a certain part of his anatomy twitch and curses for having chosen to wear dress pants instead of robes. She disregards this and looks back into his eyes.

_Those beautiful eyes – wait, what are you saying, Lily? You promised yourself from the moment he first asked you out that you would not fall for him and you _always _keep your promises._

Now it is Lily's turn to shake her head before replying.

"What do you mean I'm blindsided?" she asks puzzled. "Are you trying to tell me Severus thought of me as more then a friend?"

"Yes!" says James, throwing his hand up. "Merlin Lily, he's in love with you!"

Lily stares at him for a moment in shock and then bursts out laughing.

"S-Severus? In love with m-me? You've got to be joking! Why the hell would _anyone_, least of all my childhood friend, _love_ me?"

"You obviously don't think much of yourself, Lily," says James sadly. He walks over the unoccupied chair and sits down. "Because if you're so blind that you can't see the beauty that everyone else sees when they look at you…"

Lily feels her face burn and hopes James has not noticed it. If he did he had the decency to ignore it for her sake.

"Oh yeah? What exactly does everyone else see then when they look at me? All I can see are the flaws!" says Lily stubbornly, "Which apparently you are unaware of."

James looks at her incredulously.

"You don't think I can see your flaws Lily?" laughs James. "Okay, then I'll enlighten you on all the flaws I see."

"Lily Evans, you are impatient, insecure, you argue like hell, you nag, you've got the worst bloody temper of anyone I've ever met, you hate being wrong, you're slow to trust people; especially me, you're awful at Transfiguration mainly because you over think it, you get stressed easily, you PMS like no other, and you can be a total bitch," he concludes.

Lily stares at him, her mouth agape. Once she realizes it is open she closes it but keeps staring at him. To her surprise, she is not angry at all but is more surprised and rather…touched?

James looks at her nervously now and since she says nothing, decides he should probably continue on before she does.

"I'm sorry if I made you upset because that wasn't my intention. None of what I said was a lie, but there is also a whole lot of good in you."

He pauses but Lily does not say anything, still in shock, so he takes it as a cue to continue.

"Lily, you're honestly the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. You care about others, you help people, you're selfless and loving, you're braver than most people I know, you're classy and dignified, you fight for what you think is right, you stand up for people who won't stand up for themselves. You also help people see the good in themselves when they can't, like Remus. You have excellent morals, you have a lovely singing voice even though you think otherwise, people just love you, chocolate solves all your problems, your humble and nurturing, you're loyal and the truest Gryffindor I've ever met."

Lily, for once, is at a loss for words. James leans into her and she feels her heart rate speed up. She can still smell his cologne.

"Lily, you have to know that none of the great stuff about you that I said is a lie. They beat your flaws any day, even if your flaws _are_ apparent every day. In my opinion, your flaws are what make you even more beautiful."

Lily opens her mouth, about to say something, but James cuts her off.

"Lily, I –" Suddenly the door opens and cuts James off just as he was about to tell her how he truly feels. He inwardly curses for the awful timing.

"Oi! What's going on in here?" asks Sirius suggestively. Lily cannot blame him for jumping to very wrong conclusions. Their faces are about an inch apart and if he had not interrupted…well, their kissing times may have increased.

"Nothing Padfoot," says James disappointed, and Lily looks back between the two of them confused. "Goodnight Lily."

He smiles and got up. As he walks out the door, he lets his eyes flicker back to her and can see she was smiling too.

"Goodnight," she whispers. "It is a good night," she says, thinking that he cannot hear her but he does and it ends his evening perfectly.

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Lily wakes from a clap of thunder. She yawns and gets up, stretching as she does so. She walks into the private bathroom that is connected to her room and takes a nice, hot shower. Once she is out, she gets changed into a blouse and a nice pair of jeans and heads downstairs where she is sure the others already are. She is wrong. As she reaches the den where the Christmas tree still is, only James is to be seen.

"'Morning," he greets cheerfully. His expression is unreadable so Lily cannot tell if he remembers what had happened the previous night. Or, perhaps, if anything had happened.

"'Morning," says Lily absentmindedly, sitting down in one of the chairs. "Happy Christmas. Here, I got you something."

James looks surprised. "Before or after you started hating me again?"

"After."

"Really?"

"Oh yes, the all mighty Lily Evans decides that Christmas is canceled just because the annoying James Potter decides to piss her off."

James grins. "Just wondering." He takes the present from her and reaches under the tree for something Lily cannot see. It is a little gift-wrapped box, big enough to fit perhaps a necklace or something along those lines. He reaches out to put it in her lap.

"You didn't have to get me anything," says Lily surprised. James looks at her incredulously.

"So I can look like a right eejit when you just gave me my present? Yeah, right!"

"What if I hadn't gotten anything for you?"

"I still would have given you the present," he says, looking into her emerald green eyes. She averts her gaze and only looks back when she hears a gasp. She realizes he must have opened his present. It is the newest racing kit with state-of-the-art supplies to fix your broom.

"This is amazing! Thanks Lily!" He gets up and kisses her cheek, sitting back down afterwards, however, she still feels the Goosebumps. She is positive he feels it too because he runs his hands through his hair subconsciously, something she has not seen him do in a while. Before either can say anything else, he walks out of the room.

She looks after him curiously and decides to open her present. She gasps too, for it was a beautiful, silver necklace.

There is something peculiar about it though. Lily looks closer and realizes there is an inscription. She cannot see it though but is sure James will know what it was. She hoists herself up from the comfortable chair and is about to go down the hall to find James when she collides with Sirius. He catches her before she falls to the ground and helps her steady herself.

"Thanks, do you know where James is?" she asks, standing up straight. Sirius shrugs and Lily crosses her arms.

"Don't play dumb."

"Who says I'm playing?"

"Hardy-har-har. You're his best friend, of course you know where he is!"

Sirius makes the motion of zipping his lips and throwing away the key.

"For Merlin's sake, Sirius! I'm not going to kill him or anything, I just want to thank him for his gift!"

Sirius' face brightens and he plays dumb. "What'd he get you?" Lily rolls her eyes and shows him the necklace.

"Do you know what the inscription means?" she asks hopefully.

Sirius' grin slides of his face and replaces it with a grimace.

"Can't tell you that, Lily bean," he says seriously. "Only you'll be able to find out." Leaving her more confused than before, he runs off to the den.

Lily walks to her room annoyed. What could be on the damn inscription. She opens her door and flops on her bed, undoing the clasp and putting it on. To her surprise, the metal is warmer than she expected.

She absentmindedly looks out the window and her eyes widen. There, wandering through the garden again, is none other than James. He is walking with his hands in his pockets and in the opposite direction of the house.

Making a split second decision, she tears out of her room and down several staircases. She has to ask him what this inscription means or it will bug her forever.

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She runs outside and is immediately hit by a gust of wind that freezes her to the core. Why had she not thought to bring a sweater?

She begins jogging in the distance she believes James had been walking. He is long gone by now so he could be anywhere on their vast property. It stretches as far as the eye can see and leads into a forest that is way off in the distance.

Lily picks up her pace but looks around her as she does. The garden is spectacular. It must have taken years to accumulate so many types of flowers and must take a lot of work to maintain them all. One in particular catches her eye. The petals are the same colour as her hair and the stem of it is the same colour as her eyes. It has her written all over it and she wants one badly.

Deciding that in a garden of so many flowers, one will not make a difference, she plucks it carefully and holds it gently. To her amazement, a new flower (exactly the same) takes its place. It is a brilliant piece of magic that Lily imagines can only be done by Dorea.

Sticking it behind her ear, she continues on her way on the path she remembers having seen James take. She walks for a good half an hour and then comes to a fork. They both lead to different parts of the forest; one darker than the other. It reminds her of Robert Frost's poem _The Road Not Taken_. They had been instructed during her time at her Muggle primary school to memorize the entire poem but she only remembers the final passage.

_I shall be telling this with a sigh_

_Somewhere ages and ages hence:_

_Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—_

_I took the one less traveled by,_

_And that has made all the difference._

She debates on whether or not she should head back to the Potter Manor. What if she takes the wrong path or worse yet, what if she finds him and he does not tell her? She decides that it is a chance she has to take and decides on taking the one that goes left. She has a gut feeling that it will take her to where she needs to go.

She resumes walking, her anxiety growing with every step she takes but she knows she has made the right choice. Thinking about the poem helps calm her and after all, she is a Gryffindor. Gryffindors do not quiver in the face of darkness. They embrace it and conquer it. She does believe in the phrase "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

She gasps. What meets her eyes is a beautiful sight.

Now that trees no longer surround her, she realizes she is in the heart of the forest. There is a waterfall that drops into a small pool-like hole in the ground. She looks up in amazement and the suns golden rays shine down on her, bouncing off of her hair.

That is not what makes her gasp though. Drinking from the pool of water is the most gorgeous Stag she has ever seen. It looks up upon hearing her gasp and Lily swears that its eyes widen upon realizing it is no longer alone.

It trots over to her and she stands deadly still, worried that she scared it. Her worries vanish instantly, however, when it extends its mane for her to stroke. She does so and sighs in contentment, as does the Stag, to her amazement.

"You're beautiful," she whispers, and if Stags can smile she is sure this one just did. "It's almost as if you're human. Are there more of you here?"

It turns its head both as if to say no and she laughs.

"I doubt they would be like you though. You seem special. You know, my Patronus is a Doe and I heard that they are compatible."

The Stag looks up at her with wide eyes full of wonder. They are twinkling brightly. She continues to stroke its mane and talks aloud to it.

"I've never been here before," she tells the Stag. "It's all new to me but I'm glad I took this route. I'm looking for a – friend, I suppose you could say. He gave me this – look at me! I'm talking to you like you understand a word I am saying!"

To her surprise, the Stag gives her a reproachful sort of look. Perhaps he does understand her…

"Sorry. Anyway, he gave me this beautiful Christmas gift but I feel bad because I cannot read the inscription." The Stag seems to deflate a bit and Lily sighs. "I know, I feel awful. I feel like it is something important but I don't know. We never did finish our conversation though last night. I felt like he was about to tell me something when that Sirius barged in and interrupted. That boy has no tact, let me tell you."

The Stag's eyes are now dancing with laughter and Lily cannot help but laugh herself.

"James truly is one of a kind though. Look at me, I just called him, James! It's not that hard though, I guess I only call him Potter now because it's habitual. It used to be because he annoyed me to no end but he's really grown up. Can I tell you a secret?"

The Stag, somewhat hesitantly, inclines its head and Lily takes that as his form of a yes.

"I'm afraid I'm starting to fall for James," she whispers. "I find myself thinking about him more and more as the year goes on. Sure, he still angers me frequently but maybe Jessica, his sister, is right. Love, or whatever the hell this is, isn't meant to be easy. She's quite smart for her age, you know. I didn't know half the things she knows at fifteen. I wonder if she has felt something like this before."

"Look at me, I'm being ridiculous. I'm talking to a _Stag_ about my guy problems instead of confronting them on my own. We've kissed already twice, you know. They were the best kisses of my life, to be honest. The fireworks were brighter and louder than Dr. Filibuster's and _that_ is saying something."

Lily stares at the Stag's eyes again. They are so full of expression that she cannot help but stare at them. They are a beautiful shade of hazel. Not unlike…

James'.

_Prongs_.

Lily gasps, putting the pieces together and she immediately takes her hands off of the Stag. He has been enjoying this the entire time, has he not?

"Return to your form Potter," she says coldly.

The Stag looks at her regretfully and Lily's heart breaks. She knows that look because she has been on the receiving end of it for years when she reprimanded James on his pranks. Before her eyes materializes the very boy she had been spilling her heart out about, unknowingly to him, himself.

James stares back at Lily in shock and then to his horror, her eyes fill with tears, which she desperately tries to hide. Now it is his turn for his heart to shatter into a million pieces. He should have gotten out of there as soon as she came and reappeared in his human form. He could not do it though when she saw the look in her eyes. They were full of wonder and love for the Stag and his heart aches, wishing that she would give him that look when he is in his human form. Still, he should have never let her start pouring her heart out to him, no matter how curious he was. If telling him how she felt came at a price he would rather never knowing.

"Lily, I –" he begins.

"How _could_ you, James?" she says, wiping her eyes hastily. "I – I trusted the Stag…you're an _Animagus_." He nods. "I take it an unregistered one to boot."

"We did it for Remus," he says desperately, and Lily looks at him baffled. "He goes through so much pain during his transformations, we figured we could distract him and keep him busy. That way, he hardly hurts himself and we take some of the scratches."

"So that's why you'll come into class with scars on your necks," she breathes. Her anger rekindles though. "Still, where do you get off listening to me pour my heart out about _you?"_

"I never imagined in a million years that you would be talking about _me_," James says earnestly. "I know I should have left the second you arrived here but it was so hard. The way you looked at me – I couldn't turn away. Not when my Stag form is the only time I will be seen that way in your eyes."

Lily's gaze softens and she looks down at her feet. For a couple moments she does not say anything and James waits anxiously for her to continue. Finally, she bites her lip and looks up.

"I – You –" She stops short when James walks closer to her. He is towering over her but he can still see every freckle on her face.

For a terrifying, and somewhat electrifying, moment she thinks that he is going to kiss her again. He surprises her though and extends a hand for her. Reluctantly, she accepts it and he leads her to the pool.

"I used to come here when I was little," James explains, still holding her hand and savouring every minute of it. "You know, to think about things: Whenever I would have a fight with a sibling, when John – died, when I was upset about something that happened with you."

Lily looks up at him but he continues to stare at the water, his eyes now expressionless. She has no idea what is going on inside his head.

"I don't know what we are Lily and quite frankly, nothing you told me was _that great_ of a surprise to me. Not because I'm conceited," he says, when he sees her open her mouth, "but because I had a feeling already. A feeling that I already knew what you were thinking and that's – that's part of the reason I gave you that necklace."

"It's beautiful," she murmurs.

"Yes, Goblin's make exceptional jewelry but that's not the only reason I got it for you. I had to see – You can't read the inscription?" Lily shakes her head and he looks down at their hands and then at the waterfall.

"Could you tell me what it says?" she asks hopefully. James, however, shakes his head.

"It wouldn't mean anything to you, not now anyway. I just hope one day that you will be able to read it. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, or in ten years but one day." To her surprise and disappointment, he lets go of her hand and puts his own in his pocket. He then notices the flower in her hand and his lip turns up.

"I see you found the flower I made."

"_You_ made this?"

James nods. "Let me tell you, it's not the easiest bit of magic but compared to becoming an Animagus, it was a walk in the park. I made it the summer before our fourth year, right after you rejected me for the first time."

"Really?" Lily falters. "What's it called?"

"'The Lily Flower'. It's not a Lily or anything," he says quickly, "but I made it to match your hair and eyes."

Lily is touched by this sentiment and rendered speechless. She cannot believe that he made a _flower_ in her honour especially after all she has done to him. What did she ever do to deserve someone who cares about her so much?

"We should be heading back," says James, looking up into the sky. "It's nearly noon and mum will be already making Christmas supper."

Lily nods and putting her nerves and worries aside, she does something she never thought she would do in a million years. She reaches out and grabs James' hand in her own. The little act of affection shocks him and he looks down again at their entwined hands and then into her eyes. She smiles slightly and nods and he realizes that she is not going to take it out just yet.

It is the beginning of a beautiful friendship and right now for James that is all he can hope for and overall, the best Christmas gift.

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Two days pass and Lily still is not able to crack the mystery of the necklace. By then, however, she has other things occupying her mind. For one, her and the Marauders are going back to Hogwarts today and she is going to have to endure countless rumours about her staying at the Potter Manor.

Secondly, her and James have made a non-spoken agreement to be friends from now on. Although she at times has trouble trusting him, she finds being friends is a lot nicer than yelling at him. The other Marauders welcomed this change with open arms and Lily will sometimes see Sirius grinning across the table at her and James when they happen to sit next to each other.

So that is why when she arrives at Kings Cross Station she is going to be getting on the train with trepidation.

"Thank you so much for letting me stay, Dorea," says Lily, hugging the elderly woman. Dorea smiles.

"No thank you, dear," she says. "I think this was the only holiday that the boys actually behaved themselves and that's an accomplishment."

Everyone laughs except for Jarred who rolls his eyes and looks off into the distance. Lily notices this and wonders if there is anything that she can do to help him. He seems to be so miserable and it pains Lily to see anyone like this.

"Bye Dorea," says Sirius, leaning down to hug her. He is by now two heads taller than her and loves to constantly remind her about it. "By the way, how's the weather down there?"

They laughs again as Dorea smacks Sirius with a magazine she conjures. Sirius lets out a bark-like laugh and retreats behind Lily.

"Yeah, it's so hard to find you behind the 5'3 girl," smirks James. Sirius laughs and begins tickling Lily's sides.

"SIRIUS! AGH! STOP!" cries Lily, trying to escape him. She elbows him in the stomach and only then does he stop.

"You seven had better get going before the train leaves without you," said Dorea, hugging Remus and Peter in turn and then her other children. "Have a good term and I'll see you over the summer!"

They all nod and run through the barrier as they have done so much earlier in the year. Once through, Lily turns to the Marauders.

"I'll see you guys later," she says, bidding them goodbye.

They nod and go their separate ways. Lily drags her trunk down the corridor, saying hello to friends from other houses and just people she recognizes. As James watches her retreat he cannot help but admire how she seems to get along with everyone. He regretfully turns his back to her and walks into the famous Marauders compartment.

"Lily!" cries Alice, Marlene, and Margaret. They all run up to her and hug her tightly.

"Guys! _Guys,_ seriously you're choking me!" gasps Lily. "I missed you too but we _did_ see each other a few days ago."

They laugh and let the redhead breathe freely again.

"Thank you. So, what's up?" asks Lily, hoisting her trunk into the luggage racks.

They look at her incredulously. "You!"

"Excuse me?"

"Everyone is talking about how you stayed with the Potter's," says Margaret. "We didn't know what to believe, so, what exactly happened?"

"No idea," says Lily honestly. "I don't even know where to _begin!"_

"How about the reason why you were there to begin with?" suggests Marlene. "You never told us that when we saw you." Lily's eyes fill up with hot tears when she remembers the reason. Her past few days have been so eventful that she has not allowed herself much time to dwell on her father's death.

"Lily! What's wrong?" cries Alice. The three run over to Lily's side.

"Th-the reason I was at J-James' is because my d-dad…" Lily's voice dies here (**A/N: Sorry, no pun intended**) and Margaret's hand jumps to her mouth.

"Lily…is your father…d-dead?" gasps Margaret. Lily sobs harder and the other two gasp. Tears are pouring down Margaret's face when the door opens and Remus steps in. He looks alarmed upon seeing the crying girls and he hesitates.

"Not a good time?" The girls shake their heads and motion for him to come in. He walks in and sits next to Margaret and hesitantly puts an arm around her shoulders. She breaks down and begins crying into his chest, drenching his shirt.

Lily and the other two wipe their eyes and exchange a significant look as Remus strokes Margaret's hair and "shh's" her.

"Am I right in assuming you told them the reason why you were at James'?" says Remus, over Margaret's sobbing. Lily nods. "Did you tell them about walking into your house…?"

"What?" says the other three sharply. Lily shakes her head but wills herself to be strong. She tells her story of from the second she got home to getting on the train today. She leaves out the parts though with James and the gifts since Remus is there. She will tell her friends when she gets the chance. She will make sure they are alone though.

"Are you okay, Lily?" asks Remus concerned. Margaret's head is no longer laying on his shoulder but she is sniveling. Lily is harshly reminded of how the Marauders would call Severus, Snivellus.

"Of course I'm not okay," says Lily coldly. "How could I possibly be okay right now? But I will be."

The other four are surprised by her abrupt change in attitude. Remus does not let it bother him though.

"Alright. Then I'd better get back to the others before they blow up the train." Margaret laughs weakly, her throat now sore. There is a mini explosion from the back of the train and they all jump.

"Duty calls," jokes Alice. Remus smiles and gets up, stroking Margaret's hair once more and whispering reassuring words to her before running out of the compartment and down the corridor.

The three girls look at Margaret, who is still looking at the door where Remus had just walked out. She turns slowly to look at them, feeling their stares.

"What?"

Lily gives her a look. "I think you know." She grins as do Alice and Marlene.

"W-what? Th-that? No, no, no! H-He's just being – being Remus!" splutters Margaret. "There's no way he can –"

"Oh, but it's so obvious he likes you, Margaret!" cries Marlene. Margaret shakes her head.

"I'm so sorry about your father, Lily," Margaret says sadly, changing the subject, and the others nod sympathetically. "He was a great man and always so nice to me whenever I came. He made me feel like I was his third daughter."

Lily smiles slightly and Alice decides now is a good time to switch gears.

"Anyway, since Margaret won't talk about what's in front of her, we can talk about Lily and James," she grins.

"What are you talking about?" asks Lily, trying to hide a smile that is forming on her lips.

"Oh! There's got to be something going on!" exclaims Marlene. "She turned down a perfectly good chance to berate him!" The other girls squeal.

"Oh, that James, he's such a – toerag," Lily says halfheartedly, and the others snort at her weak attempt. Then their eyes widen.

"YOU CALLED HIM –"

"SHH!" hisses Lily. "Yes, I called him James, alert the media!"

"You're not getting out of this now Lily. Dish!" says Margaret. Lily sighs. Now might as well be as good a time as any…

"Fine. Well, after the party on Christmas Eve I was up in my room talking to James' younger sister Jessica," begins Lily. She tells them all the advice that Jessica had given her about James and all of what James said including the insults (the three gasp) and the compliments (they sigh). She then tells them about the forest and all that happened in there and by that point all three girls are dewy eyed.

"What's wrong?" Lily asks tentatively.

"That's got to be the sweetest thing I've ever heard," whispers Alice, wiping her eyes. The trains are slowing down and they begin changing. As Lily changes into her robes, Marlene gasps.

"Lily, where'd you get that necklace from?"

Lily looks down and there it is. The necklace James had given her for Christmas. She neglected to mention that to them, unsure of how to tell them.

"Oh. James gave it to me," says Lily nonchalantly. The girls gasp.

"It's beautiful," cries Margaret as the walk out of the compartment. Lily nods. She does not tell them about the inscription though. She wants to figure it out on her own without anyone else's help.

She thinks over all of this as they get in their own separate carriage to go up to the castle once again. This time, however, as a different person. Someone who has suffered greatly and gained much.

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A/N: Please review!


	11. Change

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 11 – Change

The next morning at breakfast before classes begin, Professor Dumbledore surprises everyone and stands up.

"Welcome back to all who left us to enjoy a well deserved holiday," he begins. "I have two announcements to make. The first pleasant and the second very much less so."

"Firstly, in consideration to the fact that our Halloween Ball got for lack of a better term, interrupted, we are hosting another ball. This time, it's not a Masquerade, however, and you may bring dates if you wish to."

Everyone laughs, clearly excited to ask the person they like or hopeful to be asked by the person they like.

"Now, it is my deepest sorrow to have to burden you with this unfortunate next piece of news," continues Professor Dumbledore. There is something different about him. The usual twinkle in his eye is gone. Lily knows no good can come from this because the only time it is not there is when he is angry or sad. The former is seldom, however, so she therefore knows it must be the latter. She hopes, however, he is not going to say what she thinks he is.

"I am sorry to announce that two of our students have lost a family member due to the work of Lord Voldemort," Professor Dumbledore goes on. Lily gasps. There is _another_ student?

"These two students are sixth years and go by the names of Lily Evans and Dorcas Meadowes, both of them having suffered the loss of a much older person."

The whole hall gasps, excluding the Slytherin table, and Lily finds herself suddenly surrounded by a bunch of people, either whispering their condolences or asking if there is anything they can do. Lily knows they mean well, but it is difficult to keep her temper in check when people she barely knows are coming up to her. They did not – had not even _known_ her father!

"You want to do something for me?" says Lily, standing up. "Do me a favor and LEAVE ME ALONE!" She runs out of the hall.

"Lily, wait!" calls James, running after her, the others on his heel. "Lily, wait up!" The hall breaks out in whispers, gossiping about what just happened. It is not every day that Lily Evans runs out of the room with James Potter calling and running after her.

"Prongs! Prongs, slow down!" cries Remus, running after him.

"Prongs and Moony! Wait up! Slow down, Lily!" shouts Sirius and Peter.

"Black, Peter, James, Lily! Slow down!" yells Marlene and Alice.

"G-guys! You're going too fast!" pants Margaret and Peter, coming up on the rear.

Lily ignores all the people telling her to slow down. How can Professor Dumbledore announce it for the whole hall to hear? The last thing she needs is for everyone to know of her father's death, _especially_ the Slytherins! Now all they will do was taunt her about it and she cannot take that.

"Lily! For Merlin's sake, Lily, you sure can run fast!" cries James from behind her. Lily emits a hic/laugh/sob/cough but continues to run then turns a sharp left. She runs up several staircases until she finds a door and flings it open. She does not bother closing it in her haste to get in, only to realize her mistake later.

She has never seen this room before. It is cluttered with loads of stuff that she assumes has been abandoned there for centuries and centuries, piling up. There is an old cabinet that looks like it is broken and a cage that looks like it contains a skeleton of something that had five legs. There is also chipped bottles of congealed potions, what appears to be a heavy, bloodstained axe, and a funny-shaped crown. Lily shivers and sits down on the cold, hard floor. There is enough clutter here to make it difficult for anyone to find her. Too bad the person who will find her is, in fact, a Marauder.

**-Meanwhile-**

"Lily?" calls James, panting as he lands on the seventh floor. "Come on, Lily, hide-and-seek has never been my strong point!" He runs down the corridor and sees a door ajar. His curiosity peaking, he walks in silently and hears sniffing coming from somewhere behind a Vanishing Cabinet.

"Lily?" he whispers. She jumps and once she realizes who it is, looks away.

"Please go," she begs, and his heart aches. Those two words are enough to send him spiraling through pain and agony. "James, you've already seen me cry on several other occasions. What make you think I'd want you to see _again?"_

He gradually sits down next to her anyway and looks at his hands. She knows this is to make her feel less uncomfortable and she appreciates it but why can he not just leave her alone?

"I never really said it, I guess I figured it was implied, but I'm so sorry for your loss Lily," whispers James. "I know, you're probably sick of hearing it and I don't blame you. I felt the same way when people gave me their condolences. 'He was such a great man' or 'it is a shame he had to die so young'. Bullocks, more than half of them either didn't know or didn't give a damn."

Lily sniffs and nods in agreement. She has been feeling exactly the same way and it is nice for someone to understand. Even if that someone has been keeping her on edge lately. Without warning, she begins to cry again and James looks alarmed.

"Oh Lily," he sighs. "You know Dumbledore didn't intentionally tell everyone about the death in yours and Dorcas' families so you guys would get pity."

"I – I don't care about that," says Lily. "I mean I do, I loathe pity but I just don't need the Slytherins harassing and smirking at me."

James does not know what to say. He has never been good with weepy girls and tries to avoid being around them. This is different than when he broke up with someone though. He never really cared about them as much as he does Lily. Do not misunderstand, he is not that shallow but the reason he stopped dating was because no one could compare to Lily. No one is as smart or as witty and as fun to be around.

"Don't worry, I won't let them," promises James quietly.

Lily looks upwards in surprise and seems to think she had said too much. She smiles slightly and stands up.

"We have to go to class," she says, looking at a clock on the wall. "I doubt Professor McGonagall would be accepting if we're late for the first class of the new term."

"Is she ever?" says James, getting up too. Lily gives a weak laugh, but a laugh all the same, and they head down the winding staircases to Transfiguration in a comfortable silence.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"That was the worst lesson ever!" moans Sirius as the eight make their way to lunch later that day.

Marlene rolls her eyes. "You're just sore because Slughorn said a first year could have performed your Potion better."

"It's not my fault that I was sitting next to Lily and she happens to be the teacher's-pet!" He winks at Marlene and she flushes and looks the other way. This goes unnoticed by the others.

"I am _not_ the teacher's-pet!" cries Lily, turning red.

"_Relax_, I'm just joking," laughs Sirius. As an afterthought he adds, "Kind of."

They all laugh and Lily sticks her tongue out as they enter the Great Hall. Their laughter abruptly ends when they come face-to-face with five unfriendly Slytherins.

"What are you doing over by our table?" asks James coldly. He directs this to all of them: Severus Snape, Seth Mulciber, Erebus Avery, Amycus Carrow, and Alecto Carrow.

"I don't believe that concerns you, Potter," sneers Avery. He is most definitely the ringleader and has the others tied around his finger.

"Seeing as you're standing here obviously waiting for us, yeah, I'd say it concerns me."

"Oh, is that so? We were actually hoping to talk to the Mudblood Evans."

Lily glares at him and it takes the combined efforts of Margaret, Remus, Alice, Peter and Marlene to hold back James and Sirius.

"What's the matter Black, don't like our pet name for Evans? Man, talk about a bad egg!" sneers Amycus.

"At least Sirius doesn't stick his head up Voldemort's arse like the five of you," sneers Marlene. Everyone looks in surprise at her. She rarely ever speaks out and when she does, it certainly is not for Sirius or against any unfriendly Slytherin.

"Aw, is McKinnon in love with ickle Blood-Traitor Black?" coos Alecto. Her companions roar with laughter, except for Severus who looks oddly out of place and keeps trying to catch Lily's eye. She ignores him, however, determinedly.

Marlene flushes angrily and can feel the tears fill up in her eyes. Sirius stops struggling to fight the Slytherins and to everyone's surprise, including his and her own, comforts her.

"Marlene's worth twelve of you, Alecto," says Sirius harshly, as he pats her back. She blushes deeper at this.

"Yeah! At least she doesn't resemble someone who got run over by a Hippogriff!" squeaks Peter. Everyone looks at him in surprise and Alecto narrows her eyes at him. He squeaks again and hides behind James, returning to his normal state.

"What did you want with me anyway?" asks Lily coldly. "I have a feeling it's not to talk about the weather."

Mulciber smirks. "We just wanted to congratulate you in first getting your mother _and then_ your father murdered. We heard you had _salad_ for dinner the night your father died." All the Slytherins laugh again except for Severus. He still cannot see that the fact that he is not doing anything is killing her more than the fact that he chose them over her.

Lily makes sure that the tears trying to force themselves out of her eyelids stay in the back of her head. She will not give them the satisfaction of knowing that they have gotten to her in such a horrible way. She feels a sudden breeze-like moment and gasps as James tackles Mulciber to the ground.

"James, get off of him!" cries Lily. James ignores her though and is wrestling with Mulciber on the ground. The whole hall stands up to see what the commotion is and gathers around.

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" they all cheer. It seems to have driven the morning news out of their heads.

The battle, Potter vs. Mulciber, seems to be coming out in James' favor. Quidditch training has made him strong because he barely had a scratch on his face, yet Mulciber has several scratches, a black eye, a broken nose, _and_ a bloody lip. It takes several minutes before a teacher can break through the queue, unfortunately for Gryffindor; it is the last teacher that will be to their benefit.

"What's going on here?" asks Professor Clemons. Carlisle Clemons is the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and is known for favoring Slytherins above all, having been in Slytherin himself. It is not even like he is their Head of House or anything. Professor Dumbledore never ceases to amaze them in whom he hires to fill the post each year.

Everyone starts talking at once, trying anxiously to talk over one another. James and Mulciber lay forgotten on the floor.

" – Potter attacked him…"

" – Mulciber called Lily a…"

" – My mother says unicorns…"

"SILENCE!" roars Professor Clemons. He turns to Cassiopeia Malfoy, the younger sister of Lucius Malfoy, named after one of her relatives. "Explain," he says evenly.

She smirks and flips her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder. Lily can tell already that this is not going to turn out in Gryffindors favour.

"Well sir, Potter here went and attacked Mulciber unprovoked –"

She is interrupted by an angry outburst from the Gryffindors and the seven who had actually been there. Professor Clemons silences them and motions for Cassiopeia to continue.

"_Anyway_, he attacked Mulciber but I think there was something with Evans in the story somewhere," she finishes lamely. Professor Clemons turns away from her and faces Lily, Mulciber, who is now being supported by Severus and Avery, and James.

"Mr. Snape, take Mulciber up to the Hospital Wing," instructs Professor Clemons. "And you two," he says, smiling nastily at Lily and James. "Fifty points from Gryffindor each and you shall join me tonight in detention."

Ignoring the angry Gryffindors, the Professor walks back up to the staff table as everyone begins sitting down again.

James looks down at the table where they had been going to sit and punches it.

Lily and her friends gasp as James' hand begins to swell up before their eyes.

"I'm sorry for getting you in detention," says James sullenly.

Lily shakes her head and walks up to him. She takes his hand in her own and points her wand at it and mutters an incantation. Before their eyes, the swelling and discolourment begins to disappear.

"Thank you."

"No, thank _you_," she says quietly so the others cannot hear.

He looks at her strangely. "For what?"

She smiles slightly. "For keeping your promise."

James smiles in return and the eight begin eating lunch.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Several minutes before eight o'clock that night, Lily and James practically run to Professor Clemons office. They know without a doubt that he will not hesitate in taking more points off of Gryffindor if they are late and do not want to give him the satisfaction. They arrive at his office and James checks his watch. The moment it strikes eight they walk in.

"Good evening," says Professor Clemons carelessly.

"Good evening Professor," reply Lily and James curtly.

"What will we be doing tonight?" asks James, praying that they will not be in separate detentions.

"You two will be in separate detentions –"

Then again, praying only gets you so far in when in detention. Also, this is a fanfic so life is not always fair…

James inwardly groans and prepares himself for the worst. How bad can it be? Him and Sirius get themselves in detention all the time!

"Evans, you will be going to Mr. Filch to clean the trophy room. No magic of course, but I daresay it'll be like it used to be at home?"

Lily gasps, her eyes filling with tears, and spins on her heel to head the trophy room, not saying another word.

"How dare you?" snarls James. "You knew the entire time what those Slytherins said, didn't you?"

"Whether I did or didn't, Mr. Potter, does not concern you," sneers Professor Clemons. "Plus, it's your word against mine. Who do you think the Headmaster will believe?"

_Me_ thinks James but he does not say anything.

"That's what I thought," says Professor Clemons, obviously under the impression he has won. "You, Mr. Potter, will stay with me."

"What will I be doing?" asks James, trying to keep his voice even. Professor Clemons' lip curls.

"Tonight you will be doing lines."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily runs out of the room, not willing to allow James or the evil Professor see her cry. James has already seen her vulnerable too many times, a majority of them because of him, and she hates it. She makes her way through the winding corridors to the trophy room where Filch and another familiar face are waiting.

"Severus?"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James is having trouble hiding his surprise. He has perhaps written lines one other time in his life and that was in detention in his first year. The teachers have given it up, however, since it did not seem to leave any _impression_ in him.

"Lines, sir?"

Professor Clemons nods and motions to the desk with a quill and parchment ready to go.

"I would like you to write, _I must not pick fights_."

James nods stiffly and walks over to the desk and sits down. It is not until he is about to start that he realizes something is missing. He looks up at Professor Clemons and notices the Professor staring at him.

"Sir, I don't have any ink."

Professor Clemons shakes his head, a smile on his face.

"You are not in need of ink, Mr. Potter."

James is deeply unsettled now. "Sir, this quill isn't a –"

"Isn't a _what_ exactly, Mr. Potter?" James just shakes his head.

_Only one way to find out_ he thinks. He sighs and writes the first line of, _I must not pick fights_.

He feels a slight irritation in the back of his hand and winces.

"Something the matter, Mr. Potter?" asks Professor Clemons. James is disgusted by the innocence behind the evil man's voice but just shakes his head.

He writes the line again, and again, and again, hoping that Professor Clemons will realize the message sank in before midnight. He does not allow himself to complain though. Hours of torture will be less painful than admitting that he is weak and giving Clemons the satisfaction of knowing he has won.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily polishes, and polishes, and polishes until she cannot feel her arm anymore. True, she has always helped out around the house back when her parents had been alive. False, she has never polished so many trophies over and _over_ again! She can practically remember every trophy there is here. Worst of all, she is not alone in doing it.

"Severus?" she had said, earlier in the evening. "What are you doing here?"

Severus winces. "I've failed to give McGonagall three homework assignments. It was this or detentions with Clemons."

Lily arches an eyebrow as she begins polishing.

"You don't like him?"

Severus shakes his head. "I don't approve of his…methods."

"What do you mean?"

Severus lowers his voice so Filch cannot hear. Lily has to pretend to polish a trophy closer just so she can hear him.

"For every detention he uses Blood Quills," he whispers. Lily gasps but thankfully, a poof of dust comes off one of the trophies Severus is shining and he sneezes.

"But Sev – Severus, that's illegal!" hisses Lily.

"_I_ know," he replies, feeling pleased that she has almost used her old nickname for him. "Try telling that to him."

Lily gasps again, this time more audible.

"Keep it down over there!" snarls Filch as he caresses his cat.

"Sorry," apologizes Lily. "Wait, so you said he uses that for _all_ of his detentions?" Severus nods. "Yeah, why?"

"Because James has detention with him tonight!"

Severus' eyes narrow dangerously.

"He's _James_ now, is he?" sneers Severus. Lily's eyes flash.

"So what?"

"Oh nothing," says Severus, but before he can stop himself he adds, "I just didn't realize you were becoming _interested_ in Quidditch players."

Lily glares at him. "You know damn well that I hate Quidditch and my relationship with James is none of your business! For your information, however, it is completely platonic!"

Severus looks livid but snorts. "If you say so."

"What's that supposed to mean?" snaps Lily.

Severus wonders how much he dares to continue. His curiosity gets the better of him, however, so he proceeds.

"It's just that I heard you paid a _visit_ to the Potter Manor this past Christmas and I use the term "visit" loosely."

Lily smacks her rag against her hand and a cloud of smoke fills the air. They cough and can hear Filch wheeze from across the room. Once they recover she retorted:

"I was only there because they happened to _bring_ me to my house and heard me when I screamed upon seeing my father's _heads_ – but _you_ know _all_ about that."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You know damn well what it means. You may not have known Bellatrix would arrange my father's head so crudely but you _knew_ Voldemort was going to kill him. Dorea and Charlus Potter out of the goodness of their hearts took me in when I had no where else to go!"

"Whatever floats your boat –"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" cries Lily in a hushed whisper. "I finally talk to you, the very thing you've been begging me to do, and you act like an utter imbecile! Well that's it, this discussion is over!" She walks over to the other side of the room to continue polishing the trophies, leaving her former best friend coughing and upset.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Four hours and several gashes later, James has finally been released from Professor Clemons office and is making his way back to the Gryffindor common room, trying to mask his pain. It is upon entering the common room that he runs headfirst into someone.

"OW!" cries Lily, falling backwards.

"Sorry!" says James, helping her up. As he helps her up she can feel Goosebumps on the arm on which he grasps her. She dismisses it as the lack of fire that is in the grate now. It cannot be anything else. It _cannot_ be…

"Where have you been?" asks Lily suddenly. "I was let out half an hour ago. I was about to go file a missing persons fee!"

"Worried about me, eh Evans?" smirks James.

Lily feels a blush rise to her face and scolds herself. What is the matter with her? James Potter's smirk always made her want to upchuck a woodchuck for Merlin's sake! Her thoughts of what Severus had told her about Professor Clemons' detentions are momentarily driven out of her head until she sees a drop of red hit the carpet.

"He was right," gasps Lily.

"Who was right?" asks James curiously.

"Severus!" cries Lily. "He said that Clemons uses Blood Quills in his detentions and he was right! He sliced your hand open!"

"Technically I sliced my _own_ hand open," says James irritably. "Secondly, it's not a big deal. It's not like I did it enough times to make any lasting inscription in my hand."

"It doesn't matter, you have to tell someone!" hisses Lily. "Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, your parents!"

James shakes his head violently.

"I'm not going to give Clemons the satisfaction of knowing he's gotten to me," argues James. "Plus, don't you know where he's from?"

Confused, Lily shakes her head.

"He's from the Ministry. Dumbledore is having more and more trouble finding people for D.A.D.A since everyone thinks the job is cursed. The Ministry provided him with someone and it's obvious it's someone who agrees with Voldemort."

The wheels are twisting and turning in Lily's head as she tries to process all this new information. Clemons? Right up with what Voldemort is doing even if he is not blatantly showing it? She knows he has a twisted mind and he is "evil" in terms of how far teachers go but in comparison to a Death Eater? It just does not make sense! And then James' refusal to go to anyone…

"So, you're not going to tell anyone about the pain he clearly put you in because he's part of the Ministry?" Lily asks, making sure she understands. Then she mutters under her breath, "And because your too damn proud."

James nods, not hearing the last part. "He can make everyone's life miserable here and the last thing I want to do right now is bother Dumbledore. He's got enough on his plate with the Order to have to worry about something as minor as this."

Lily does not agree but decides not to argue. Instead she decides to ask him a more pressing question on her mind.

"You know the day when they infiltrated Benjy Fenwick's shop?" Lily asks, sitting down in her favorite alcove. She briefly remembers the time earlier in the year when she was reading her book and James came down and began harassing her. Perhaps he had not intended to harass her at all…

She is shaken out of her thoughts by James' nod.

"What about it?" he asks.

Lily pauses, thinking on how she wants to word it.

"The Death Eaters asked me if I knew where a list was. Do you know what they were talking about?" she asks. "Somehow I doubt it has anything to do with Quidditch supplies."

James smiles weakly. "Well you're right, it has absolutely no regard to Quidditch whatsoever." He looks around before lowering his voice. "The list is about the people in the Order and…_what their Patronus' are_."

"Times like these you don't know who to trust anymore," James continues. "Ever notice how no one's stopping to chat with others in Diagon Alley anymore? That's because you don't know who's on what side and whom someone's working for. Well, Dumbledore came up with a more effective way to communicate –"

"Sending Patronus' to each other?" whispers Lily. James nods.

"The list in Benjy Fenwick's store is there because if a Death Eater uses a Polyjuice Potion to take the form of someone in the Order, they won't have the same Patronus. For instance, if I wanted to try and impersonate Dumbledore, they'd know I wasn't him because my Patronus is a Stag and his is a Phoenix."

"Your Patronus is a S-Stag? Like your – _she lowers her voice_ – animagus?"

James nods. "Yeah, why?"

"I don't know if you remember me telling you when you were in your form but my Patronus is a Doe!"

James' eyes widen. To be honest, he has completely forgotten about that. So many other things have been occupying his mind that he forgot something so…_significant._ If his Patronus is a Stag and hers is a Doe it means they are _destined_ for each other! He does not say this though out of fear that she will get angry at him. Instead, he just stares in shock at her.

Lily is surprised when he does not smirk and make a witty comment on how they are _destined_ for each other. That is what he would have done last year!

"Oh," is all he says finally. "I must have forgotten. Well, I think I'm going to go to bed. 'Night." He stands up briskly.

Surprised, Lily just nods and watches him retreat up the stairs. Normally he would have had some wise crack about how he always knew they are "perfect" for each other.

What has changed?

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: I know it's short but I didn't want to piggyback another chapter onto it. Please review!


	12. Masked Expressions

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 12 – Masked Expressions

After their moment in the common room, something seems different about James and Lily. He is not flirting with her as much anymore and it seems like he was almost…_ignoring_ her. Lily cannot wrap her head around it and almost feels sort of empty inside. They have just become friends and just when she thinks their friendship is growing into something more, he stops talking to her. It upsets her more than she cares to admit.

"_Lily_," hisses Margaret from in front of her. "You're not taking your usual Transfiguration notes and you know we're both lousy in this class. If you don't take notes I'll _fail_ for sure!"

"Sorry," says Lily waspishly. "I know how much _my_ note taking affects _your_ grade considering you never pick up a damn quill to take notes yourself!"

Remus and James look at her scandalized for snapping and Margaret faces front, hurt. Lily sighs. She had not meant to snap at Margaret but her mind is far from Transfiguration at the moment. It does not help that it is on a topic that she has always made off limits…up until now.

"What's wrong with you today?" whispers James out of the corner of his mouth. It is the first time he has spoken to her since the night of their detention. He has been taking notes all class, though he need not, seeing as he is the top student in the class. That has never stopped Lily in her other classes though.

"Nothing," retorts Lily, putting her face in her hands. "Nothing at all of your concern." This is a lie in fact, considering all she can think about is he right now. He seems to realize she is lying also but accepts this and does not speak to her for the rest of class.

"Margaret! Margaret, _wait!"_ cries Lily once they are dismissed from Transfiguration. Ignoring Professor McGonagall's scandalized look for screaming so loudly, Lily runs after a speeding Margaret.

"_Margaret_, wait _up_!" shouts Lily, weaving through the wave of students. It does not help that she is one of the shorter ones and is getting jostled around easily.

Margaret stops abruptly and spins around, glaring at her.

"_What?"_ she asks harshly. Lily is taken aback. "Look, I'm sorry I told you that you weren't taking notes but I thought you wouldn't be too pleased if you found out McGonagall had been glaring at you most of the class. Not all of us can so easily clear of minds of what's in front of us!" She says this all very quickly.

Lily is stung by the harshness of these words but looks at one of her best friends concerned.

"Margaret," she whispers so passerby cannot hear. "What's wrong?"

Margaret stares at her and then promptly bursts into tears. Lily's eyes widen in alarm and so do those passing by the pair.

"Shhh, not here," says Lily, pulling Margaret through the crowd.

"Lily, what's wrong with her?" says James sharply, coming up from behind.

"None of your concern, James," snaps Lily. She is in no mood to talk to the person who has been confusing her the most when she has a friend to help. She tries to push him out of the way but to no avail. She cannot help but when she tries pushing against his chest, feeling his six-pack. She automatically pushes this out of her mind.

"Move Potter," she says seething. So they are back to this again? Well, if this is how he wants it then she will give it right to him? She just wishes she had never felt what it was like to be friends with him so she would not miss it so much.

He smirks, reverting back to his old self. "Not a chance. And yes, it is my concern when a friend is upset."

Lily cannot help but admire his selflessness when it comes to helping a friend but does not appreciate it right now. Margaret obviously needs someone to talk to and James is not that person.

"R-Really James, I'm f-fine," says Margaret, wiping her eyes. "I just really need to talk to Lily now."

Before James can argue further, Lily takes her advantage of him being off guard and pushes past him, going to the one place he cannot follow. The girls' lavatory.

"Okay, what's up Margaret?" asks Lily concerned. "I've never seen you so torn up."

Margaret starts crying freely again.

"You know th-the ball t-tomorrow?" sobbed Margaret.

"Yeah?" says Lily uncertainly. "You said you were going to ask Remus if he would go with you!"

Margaret nods and sniffles. "Well, this morning D-Dorcas sat down next to him at breakfast and – and asked him!" She starts bawling again.

Lily is shocked. She has never seen Margaret so torn up over someone. She must really be falling for Remus because she has never allowed anyone get to her like this.

"W-What did he say?" asks Lily hesitantly. Margaret stops crying at once and her face changes from sad to livid.

"He said _yes_," says Margaret, through gritted teeth. "He answered her automatically and said he was looking _forward_ to it. He's been leading me on like he likes me this whole time!"

"Calm down, Margaret," implores Lily. "Perhaps he didn't want to hurt her feelings. Or else maybe he doesn't even know that he likes you yet!"

"Kind of like how you don't realize you –" begins Margaret.

"NO! That's totally different!" exclaims Lily. "Firstly, the feelings are…are not mutual. Secondly, I don't even think he likes me anymore." She looks down at the floor at these words.

Lily knows that Margaret hears the emptiness behind these words. She sees a flash of sympathy cross over her face.

"That's not true," says Margaret quietly. She wipes her eyes with a towel. "Come on, let's go to lunch before the others form a search party."

All through lunch, Lily and Margaret give James and Remus the cold shoulder. Neither boy can figure out what they did wrong but it appears only Remus cares, which would not be odd except for the fact that James always cares when Lily is upset with him.

"Do you know what we did?" whispers Remus. James shrugs.

"Who cares?" he says, helping himself to more chicken.

"Erm – you do?" says Sirius through a full mouth. James glares at him.

"No I don't."

"Yes you do."

"No, _I _don't!"

"Yes, _you_ do!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"NOPE!"

"YUP!"

"SHUT UP!" roars Remus. A few heads turn to stare at the Marauders.

"Sorry," apologizes Remus. He then turns back to James. "Prongs, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," says James automatically. "Why would you think otherwise?"

"Because we all know you still like Lily," whispers Remus so none of the girls can hear.

"No I don't," argues James. "Why is everyone saying that?"

"Maybe because it's true?"

"No!"

"I don't know what you see in her anyway, Prongs," says Peter, spearing some more chicken. "She always argues with you and you said it yourself, besides her red hair and green eyes, which makes her stand out, she can be a total bit – "

"DON'T YOU _DARE_ FINISH THAT SENTENCE," growls James. This time the whole hall turns to look at him but he ignores them. Peter slides back in fear. "If you ever say that again, I swear it will be the last thing you ever do." Saying that, he storms out of the hall.

Everyone is shocked. Never have they seen James Potter so angry and know when the mischievous sparkle leaves his eye, something is wrong. After a few moments they all turn to whisper to their friends about what happened and few go over to tell friends from other Houses parts they might have missed. Even the Professors are talking in hushed tones.

"What was that about?" asks Alice.

Lily hesitates. "No idea."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James storms out of the Great Hall and up to his dormitory since he still has twenty minutes until Muggle Studies. He ignores the shocked looks from the few people in the common room and stomps up to his dormitory. He flings open his door and winces as it slams with a sickening thud into the opposite wall. He walks over to his bed and opens up the loose floorboard under his bed. He has a few things that he leaves in there every year. A photo album of him and the Marauders, some chocolate, a few spare quills, and another album that Sirius had given him over the holiday when they were alone.

The album is full of pictures of him and Lily. Not that Lily knows this. In the album it shows attempts over the past five and a half years of James trying and failing to win Lily over. He had had no idea Sirius had taken any of these moments but was glad he did. Now; however, he is so angry he slams it back under the floorboard and stomps on the board. No matter how much he tries, he cannot get Lily out of his mind! She is like a virus that just will not go away and it is driving him mad!

He sits down on his bed and reflects on the past few weeks. They have been the happiest of his life. Him and Lily had finally reached a good place and he had been considering asking her out again. He had had a gut feeling that this time he would not be disappointed.

It all changed though when they had the discussion after their detention that night though. He was not mad at her, more terrified. Knowing that their Patronus' are compatible gives him that inevitable truth that he has been hoping for, for years. Now that he has it though, it scares the hell out of him. What if he messes things up? There is no denying that they are destined for each other but that all could change in a few years time. He does not want to fall even harder for Lily (if that is possible) only to have his heart broken beyond repair because honestly, how many times can it break before it shatters? For this reason, he decided that it will be best to try and get over Lily Evans, something he has never imagined doing until now and he knows there is only one way to do it.

He decides the best way to get her out of his mind is to have a fun trip tomorrow with the guys in Hogsmeade. They are going to hang out and probably flirt shamelessly with different girls every half and hour, just how James has always liked it. No one to hold him back from releasing the beast inside of him.

Maybe he _has_ finally given up on Lily Evans. It will be good for him, seeing as whenever she denied going out on him, it was like a punch in the gut, always leaving him winded. Well, now he will start focusing on other people who will actually give him the time of day. Yes, no more Post Asking Lily Evans Out Depression.

Remember, he is not doing this out of spite but because he is afraid. Not that he will ever admit that.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily and her friends walk down to Hogsmeade the next morning in hope that they will be able to get their minds off of everything. They think this in vain, of course, because in the back of their heads they know that the guys will be there too.

"Where do you want to go first?" asks Marlene.

Lily shrugs. "Might as well go to the new Dress Shop and pick out some new dresses. This will probably be the last ball for the year so we should try and find something nice."

The others nod in agreement and they run off to the newest and most popular Dress Shop at the end of the road.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Where to first, my fair Marauders?" asks Sirius as the four enter Hogsmeade.

James shrugs. "How about the Hogshead? We might as well go and get a drink, it's not like we need new Dress Robes again. All we have to do is perhaps change its color."

The others nod in agreement and they speed-walk to the bar at the very end of the road, as they do so, taking their own glasses out of their pockets.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

It takes the girls forever to find new dresses and other things (**A/N: I'm not going to bother getting specific, it takes too long**) but when they finally find the perfect outfits and accessories, they know it is worth it.

"Should we head back?" asks Alice. "The dance is in six hours and we'll need to shower and get ready."

Margaret nods. "Are you going with Frank, Alice?" Alice nods with a goofy grin on her face.

"What about you guys?" she asks hesitantly.

"The three of us are going together," says Margaret, looking at the other two and noticing them shift guiltily. "What? Did you guys get dates?" she asks as they head back down the street.

"I'm so sorry, Margaret," says Lily sadly. "Marc Jacobs asked me yesterday night in the common room and I said yes without even thinking."

Margaret nods. She turns to Marlene. "And you?"

Marlene blushes crimson. "Chuck Blaire asked me right after Charms on Wednesday," she whispers.

"_Chuck Blaire?"_ cries Lily. "The same one you had your first time with?" Marlene nods bashfully. "Do you think he's hoping to be something more now?"

Marlene shrugs nervously. "I honestly don't know. We always said that it was a one-time thing so I don't know his intentions. I'm not interested though for a relationship though. He's a nice guy." She turns to Margaret worried. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

Margaret shakes her head but cannot help but feel disappointed. She will now be the only one going alone and will look like an eejit.

"We'll still hang out with you though," says Lily hurriedly. "It's not like we're going to abandon you." The other two nod in agreement.

"I'm sure someone will ask you before tonight," comforts Alice. Margaret scoffs.

"The dance is tonight. What loser besides me hasn't gotten a date yet?"

She looks away as the other three look at her sympathetically. She notices out of the corner of her eye some guy running, trying to catch up to them.

"Hey, Margaret! Margaret!" calls the boy. The four of them turn around and come face-to-face with a panting Michael Hernandez, Gryffindor seventh year and one of the few Gryffindor heartthrobs. He even gives James and Sirius a run for their money.

"Hey Michael," says Margaret shyly. She elbows Alice and Marlene who are giggling. "What's up?" _Please, please, please ask._

"Could I speak to you alone for a moment?"

Margaret gives the other three a significant look and Lily nods, dragging the other two away. Margaret makes a mental note to hug Lily tightly later.

"What's up?" she reiterates.

Michael looks down at her and blushes. He is about three heads taller than her, allowing her to only reach his chest.

"Well…I was wondering if y-you'd like to go to the b-ball tonight with m-me?" he asks. Margaret has never seen him so terrified and feels bad. It is not like she is anything special. Remus does not think so at least…but this is not about Remus. It is about her and Michael possibly going to the ball together. He seems to be waiting for her response so she decides to oblige.

"Sure, I'd love to go with you," agrees Margaret cheerfully. She notices out of the corner of her eye the Marauders passing. They appear to be listening in. "I can't wait," she says a little louder.

Michael beams at her. "I'll see you tonight then." He bends down and kisses her on the cheek and then smiles at her once more before heading off in the opposite direction.

Margaret smiles after him then turns to look at the guys. James, Sirius, and Peter look at each other guiltily then at Remus. Remus looks at them oddly then walks off too, them following in his wake.

_What the hell was that about?_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Moony! Wait up!" calls James. They had heard everything from whom Lily is going with to Michael asking Margaret out. He is not sure how he feels about Lily going with Marc Jacobs seeing as he is a player but reminds himself that what concerns Lily no longer concerns him. Besides, he has more pressing matters to deal with.

Remus slows down so they can catch up to him.

"What?" he asks confused. The other three exchange a confused look.

"Well, you walked away pretty fast…" says Peter nervously.

Remus shrugs. "I don't want to make Margaret any more mad at me then she already is, is all."

"You should have asked Margaret, mate," says Sirius, "before that Michael bloke did. It's obvious that she was hoping you would."

Remus looks at him strangely. "I'm already going with someone."

"Who?" they all ask simultaneously.

"Dorcas."

"DORCAS!" they all cry.

"You asked Dorcas?" whispers James.

"No, she asked me if I'd like to go and I said yes."

James and Sirius exchange a look. Something is not right here.

"Don't you like Margaret, Moony?" asks Sirius. Remus shakes his head.

"I like Margaret as a friend."

"Is that why you blushed when I referred to her as Mrs. Lupin on the train and were stroking her hair on the way back here?"

"How'd you know about that?"

"Alice mentioned it."

"She was crying and I was just comforting her and that first time you caught me off guard," says Remus stubbornly. "Can we please talk about something else?"

"You always make me talk about Lily," argues James. Remus rolls his eyes.

"That's because there's a future somewhere for you two, not for Margaret and I."

"Yeah right," mutters James. Remus gives him a look. "Fine, whatever, let's just go back to the common room and hang out. It'll be girl free since they'll all be busy getting ready and what-not."

The other three grin and they race back to the castle; James in front, Sirius on his heels, Remus behind him, and Peter lagging in the back, panting. Life is good.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The girls take up their six hours getting ready and it is probably a good thing they left Hogsmeade so early considering they only have about five minutes to meet their dates and head downstairs before the ball starts.

"I'll never understand why girls take so long," complains Sirius. He is dressed in bright, canary yellow robes, which makes him stick out like a sore thumb; just the way he likes it.

"Because if they don't, Padfoot, we have to listen to them complaining all night about how they don't look good," smirks James. He is dressed in regular black dress robes, deciding it would be nicer to stay formal. He even managed flattening his hair so it does not stand up on end.

"I'll never understand how you can get all the girls to love you with that being said," laughs Remus. He is wearing very pale blue dress robes that compliment his eyes and look nice with his sandy-brown hair.

And finally, Peter is wearing a very ugly pair of dress robes that look the color of burnt sienna. He has not managed to get a date but that does not bother him. He prefers just floating around and taking the backseat, watching everyone else have a good time.

"I'll never understand either," says Lisa Brown, coming up from behind them. She is James' date and looks stunningly pretty tonight. She is wearing a pair of rich, ruby, red dress robes and her hair is platinum blonde, making her look as if she can be a Malfoy.

James pretends to pout, turning around to face his date and then breaking into a grin.

"You look great," he compliments.

"You don't look too bad yourself," smirks Lisa. "I never knew your hair could go flat."

James reaches up to feel his now hair and shrugs. "It's been known to happen."

Lisa laughs as the common room goes silent. The Marauders and Lisa look around to see the source of the newfound silence and realize it is because four new people have joined them.

Lily, Alice, Margaret, and Marlene make their way down the steps, all eyes on them.

They walk down the stairs and the whole common room is silent. Everyone is gawking at them like they are some demigoddesses and it makes them very uncomfortable. They turn to see the guys and Lisa staring at them. Well, in Lisa's case, glaring.

**-James POV-**

She looks bloody gorgeous. Well, she always does but now it is unbelievable. Every guy in the common room is staring at her and it makes my blood boil to the surface. I only keep it in check because of Lisa and she does not seem to pleased with the lack of attention she is getting. It takes a lot to take my eyes off of her but I remind myself that I am trying to get over her and need to move on with my life.

**-Sirius POV-**

She looks friggin' amazing! Her blonde hair is straightened and down. That Jonathon Roberts would have been one lucky bloke – wait! I _can't_ be falling for Marlene! She is a good kisser though…but we never even talked about – bloody hell, she just smiled at me! Maybe it was a grimace…Maybe I'll talk to her tonight…I don't think she'll be in the mood though after she finds out…

**-Remus POV-**

She looks beautiful, not that anyone in the common room disagrees. Wait, what am I saying? I'm going out with Dorcas and I do not like Margaret! Right?

**-Peter POV-**

Why does everyone look great except for me?

**-Frank POV-**

Alice must have fallen from heaven because she's sure as hell – sorry – the most beautiful angel I've ever seen. Don't get me wrong, she's always beautiful but tonight exceptionally! I'm so glad I asked her even though we have been going out for a while. Poor James, he looks like he'd rather be with Lily than Lisa (**A/N: Okay, just saying I unintentionally chose a name so close to Lily's**).

**-Third Person Omniscient Once Again!-**

"You look great, Lily!" exclaims Marc as Lily approaches him. It is true, she is by far one of the prettiest girls in the room.

"Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself," grins Lily. He smiles down at her.

"You ready to go?"

Lily looks at James out of the corner of her eye and notices him staring at the pair of them. Noticing this, her heart rate speeds off but she tries to dismiss this. This is going to be a _special_ night and she is not going to think about her and what could have been with James.

"Definitely," she nods. He offers her his arm and they step out of the portrait hole. James motions for Lisa to take hold of his arm. She giggles and obliges as does Frank to Alice who smiles. Peter runs after all six.

And then there are four.

"So…you look great Margaret," comments Remus to break the silence. Margaret looks surprised and smiles awkwardly.

_Why is he complimenting me?_ wonders Margaret. _It's not like we're together and I wish he would stop complimenting me and making me think he feels something more. He has his own bloody date for Merlin's sake! Speaking of which, where is she? I haven't seen her all day…_

"Remy!" squeals a voice from behind Margaret. Margaret winces as Dorcas practically leaps into Remus' arms.

"Wow Dorcas, you look great," compliments Remus, and Margaret sighs. He had said the same thing to her. "You ready to go?" Before she can answer, Michael comes bounding down the stairs and rushes over to Margaret.

"Sorry I'm late," he pants. "My eejit roommates decided it'd be amusing to hide my clothes under each of their beds." His clothes did look slightly wrinkled but it does not matter.

"It's all good," grins Margaret. "Ready to go?"

Michael grins down at her too and nods. They head out with Remus and Dorcas trailing behind them, the former watching Margaret and Michael shrewdly as Margaret laughs at a joke Michael says.

And then there are two.

"So…" says Sirius awkwardly. "Where do you think Blaire is?"

Marlene sighs. "I don't know, perhaps he's – wait! What did you do to him?"

Sirius' eyes widen and he mentally kicks himself. He can be so daft sometimes.

"Erm – I…well, there was a mishap and I…" stutters Sirius. Marlene's eyes narrow.

"You hexed him so he couldn't go tonight, didn't you? Why would you _do that_ to me?" Her eyes are filling with tears of hatred and Sirius looks at her alarmed. He does not do well with weeping girls.

"B-Because…well, why'd you even want to go with him anyway?" asks Sirius defensively. "I thought it was only a one-time deal."

Marlene's eyes widen. "As opposed to who? _You?"_

They are alone in the common room now.

"Well we _did_ kiss," growls Sirius. "And I don't know about you but I felt something that night."

"So did I," she admits, but then adds, "It was the spur of the moment though! _Also_ a one-time deal."

"Keep saying that."

"That's it, I'm going to the ball!" cries Marlene. She walks off and Sirius has no choice but to follow her.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The dance is a big hit this time since everyone knows whom he or she is dancing with and the fact that they can have dates.

Lily and Marc, Alice and Frank, James and Lisa, Margaret and Michael, and Remus and Dorcas have been dancing in a big group, not knowing where Marlene, Chuck, or Sirius are; the latter having not bothered to get a date though many girls were interested.

"Can we take a break?" yells Lily over the loud music. The DJ is now playing a Muggle song called _Thriller_ by Michael Jackson and everyone is dancing like maniacs.

"Sure thing," says Marc, winking at her. "I'll go get us some drinks and meet you back at the table!" Lily nods and heads towards the table they have reserved. She sits down and takes off her shoes, rubbing her feet.

"Nice dance, huh?" comments Alice, sitting down also with Frank. She looks exhausted but at the same time ecstatic.

Lily nods. "My feet are killing me though and you know I'm not one to complain!"

Alice and Frank laugh as Marc brings back drinks. Lily gratefully accepts hers and takes a sip, soothing her dry throat from yelling all night. Just then, Margaret and Michael and Remus and Dorcas come over and sit down.

"Where's James?" asks Alice.

Remus shrugs. "Probably still dancing with Lisa or snogging by now."

Lily feels her insides go cold. She was the last person to kiss James as far as she knew. Much to her chagrin, there is a part of her that wishes she could be the last also.

A new song comes on that Lily does not know but apparently Margaret does. Being a Halfblood, she ended up living in a Muggle area and has heard her fair share of Muggle songs due to having been near many concerts.

"Oooh! I love this song!" she squeals, swaying to music. "Does anyone want to dance?"

Everyone looks exhausted except for…Remus. He shrugs.

"You want to dance?" he asks hesitantly.

She hesitates then shrugs also and looks at Michael, who nods his approval. She gets up and walks to the dance floor with Remus.

_What day is it? And in what month?_

_This clock never seemed so alive_

_I can't keep up and I can't back down_

_I've been losing so much time_

Margaret blushes when she realizes she has led Remus onto the dance floor so they can dance to a love song. He does not seem to mind though and grabs her waist. She hesitantly puts her arms around his neck.

_Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do_

_Nothing to lose_

_And it's you and me and all of the people_

_And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you_

_All of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right_

_I'm tripping on words_

_You've got my head spinning_

_I don't know where to go from here_

"I can see why you like this song," comments Remus. "It's got a nice rhythm to it."

_Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do_

_Nothing to prove_

_And it's you and me and all of the people_

_And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you_

Margaret averts her eyes from Remus in hopes that he did not see her blush. Thankfully the room is dimmer now than it was at the beginning of the evening.

_There's something about you now_

_I can't quite figure out_

_Everything she does is beautiful_

_Everything she does is right_

Remus is now staring at Margaret who determinedly looks at the ground as they dance. He cannot quite catch her eye.

_Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do_

_Nothing to lose_

_And it's you and me and all of the people_

_And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you and me and all of the people with nothing to do_

_Nothing to prove_

_And it's you and me and all of the people_

_And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you_

Neither can Remus and apparently Margaret is having a hard time as well. Neither of them see Dorcas glaring at them from the corner where the rest sit, or everyone else staring at them.

_What day is it?_

_And in what month?_

_This clock never seemed so alive_

The song finishes but Margaret wishes it had not, even though she barely looked at Remus the entire time. She looks up at him now and blushes when she realizes he has been watching her. The look in his eyes are unreadable but he smiles and says:

"Thanks for the dance. I liked it."

She smiles also and the two of them walk back to the table.

**-Meanwhile-**

Dorcas eyes narrow. It is so obvious that Margaret likes Remus and she is doing an awful poor job of hiding it. Now do not misunderstand, Margaret and Dorcas have never been friends but have gotten on fairly well. Dorcas does not like competition though and Margaret seems to be proving a threat.

"They're just friends, you know," whispers Lily to her. "Nothing more."

"I know Remus knows that," replies Dorcas through gritted teeth. "I'm just not sure if she knows that."Lily does not say anything and turns back to Marc.

"You want to go and dance?" she asks.

He smiles. "Sure." They both get up as Margaret and Remus arrive back at the table and Marlene and Sirius appear. Dorcas immediately clings to Remus and shoots Margaret a nasty look that Remus misses.

"Where have you guys been?" asks Lily suspiciously.

Marlene is red faced and angry. "We had a _discussion._"

"Where's Chuck?"

Marlene looks at Sirius furiously and then turns back to Lily. "I'll give you a hint. Sirius did to him what him and James have been doing to Snape for our first five years here." With that, she walks off to join the others.

"You hexed him so he couldn't come?" whispers Lily. Sirius grunts and walks off, leaving Lily to dance and talk with Marc.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Hey, can I speak to you for a moment?" Sirius asks Marlene later that night.

She looks up at him in surprise and then glares at him.

"That depends," she retorts. "Will you hex me if I say no?"

Sirius sighs. "No."

Marlene rolls her eyes and stands up. "Whatever, I'll take my chances. Let's go."

The pair of them walk outside the Great Hall unbeknownst to anyone and walk into an empty classroom.

Marlene crosses her arms. "What do you want now?"

Sirius sighs again and runs his hands through his hair, a habit he must have picked up from James.

"I'd like to apologize," murmurs Sirius.

This takes Marlene by surprise, just like Lily was surprised when James apologized earlier in the year. The great almighty Sirius Black apologizing? Why?

"Why?" she asks, voicing her thoughts.

Sirius is taken aback but answers, "Because I acted like an arse, hexing your date. I don't know why I –"

"Really?"

For the first time, she realizes Sirius is very close to her, looking down on her. He has this expression in his eyes that she cannot decipher.

"No, I think I do," he says, changing his mind. "But I'm just afraid –"

"Of what Sirius?" Marlene snaps, throwing him off guard by using his first name. "Spit it out."

"Afraid that…that I'm falling for you."

Marlene's eyes widen and before she can say anything to ask what it he is doing, he pulls her in for a passionate kiss. _Again_.

The kiss lasts longer this time, mainly because they have no one to hide from. Or so they think.

CLICK!

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	13. An Encounter With The Devil

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 13 – An Encounter With The Devil

_CLICK!_

**-A little later that evening-**

Lily and Marc are now the only people left in their group dancing and having fun. The others have decided to head back to their dormitories except for James and Lisa who are somewhere on the dance floor.

"This night was amazing," says Lily loudly.

Marc nods. "I know. Great music, great food, a pretty girl." Lily blushes.

"Well, you're not too bad yourself," she teases. "Some might even go as far to say you're my better half."

"Those people would be wrong considering it's the other way around," smirks Marc. He looks at his watch. "Merlin, is it that late? I didn't realize it was so empty."

He is right. As Lily looks around all she sees is Miranda strutting in from outside the Great Hall, some couple she does not know, and James and Lisa…

Marc's gaze follows hers and he raises his eyebrows.

"Are they together?" he asks Lily, indicating to James and Lisa. They are now kissing so passionately it looks like he is sucking her face off and his mouth is acting like a vacuum.

Lily this time feels a chill go down her spine and her heart stop for a second. It is like the world has frozen and she has no idea why. She turns back to Marc and realizes he is still waiting for an answer.

She shrugs, trying to act nonchalant. "I guess so. James doesn't date much though. He's more of a – one night stand kind of guy." _Kind of like our brief friendship_.

_Maybe that's why you're afraid to date him_ says the voice in the back of her head.

_No_ says Lily. _In order to date him, I'd have to like him, which I don't!_

_Is that why you felt a chill go down your spine and your heart freeze?_

_How would you know that?_

_I'm you, I know everything _and_ more apparently._

"Lily? Are you okay?" asks Marc concerned. "Come on, you look exhausted, we should get back upstairs."

She nods and as they walk past James and Lisa, does not even spare a glance towards them.

James notices this since that is the moment they break apart for air and narrows his eyes at the back of them. There is something in Marc's eyes that does not bode well with him.

**-Meanwhile-**

Marlene and Sirius separate, their lips so swollen it takes them several moments before they can speak. Marlene, however, does not speak first and just bangs her fist on the table angrily. Sirius jumps in surprise.

"What's wrong?" he asks confused.

She looks at him incredulously. "What's _wrong_?" she hisses. "This is the second time we've bloody kissed and I don't know where the hell we stand! No one knows what's going on either and quite frankly, I don't like keeping things from people."

"Neither do I but do you want to tell everyone?"

Marlene runs her fingers through her now messy hair.

"I have no idea. No though, I guess, since that would just cause grief for both of us. I think the Sirius Black Fan Club might stone me if they knew about us. Not that I'm complaining or anything."

Sirius emits a bark-like laugh and Marlene feels chills run up her back. She loves that laugh.

"I can see that," he continues with a cocky grin on his face. "Eh, they're all sluts though, I wouldn't go for any of them. Usually the ones that don't stalk you or fall all over you are the ones that are liked most." He looks into Marlene's eyes as he says this and she looks away, blushing.

"We'd better get going before they start a search party for us," says Marlene abruptly, standing up. Sirius nods and does the same.

"Is the coast clear?" he asks. Marlene looks up and down the corridor.

"Yes," she says, fixing her hair. "I'd try flattening your hair, you look like you tried brushing it in the dark."

Sirius laughs again. "And whose fault is that again?"

She smacks him playfully and they make their way up to the Gryffindor Tower.

**-Meanwhile-**

"Well, this is as far as I can go with you," grins Marc. They are standing at the bottom of the girls' dormitory steps.

Lily smiles weakly. "I had a great time tonight. We should do it again sometime."

"Definitely. Well, goodnight." He leans down and kisses her gently on the lips. She is surprised at first but pulls him in for a more passionate kiss. She wraps her arms around his neck and his hands move to her waist. It does not compare to when she kissed James but…_no_, she _has_ to stop thinking about him!

"Get a room," sneers someone from behind Marc. They pull apart and see none other than James Potter, tie undone and alone now. He must have somehow dropped Lisa off before they got there.

"That's rich, coming from the guy sucking Lisa's face off in the middle of the Great Hall," says Lily coldly.

James smirks. "Jealous?" Lily's insides burn and he knows he has hit a nerve. That bastard.

"In your dreams. Oh wait, no I'd probably slap you there too." She turns back to Marc. "_Anyway,_ thanks again." She kisses him for a few more seconds then pulls away and with one last contemptuous look at James, runs up the girls' staircase.

Marc turns to James who is still staring at Lily's retreating figure.

"Aw, Potter, don't look so sad now," he sneers. "All good things come in their own time."

"What is that supposed to mean?" asks James stiffly.

"It means I'm advising patience," he smirks. "I'll be dumping the Mudblood Evans sooner rather than later and when I do, I bet she'll run straight to you." James freezes.

"_What_ did you call her?" growls James.

"You didn't mishear me. Don't think I don't see the way she looks at you and know that she doesn't like me."

James hesitates, choosing to ignore the first part and says, "That doesn't give you a reason to hurt her."

Marc snorts. "Whatever."

"So you're telling me this whole 'liking Lily' is a sham?"

"Oh yes, it's a complete fabrication on my part," Marc laughs derisively.

"Why are you even telling me this?" asks James. "Aren't you afraid I'll tell her and your whole 'plan' will be ruined?"

Marc throws his head back and laughs a cold laugh. James feels a shiver go up his spine as if a ghost has walked through him.

"I hope you do," he says. "Because she won't believe you making her even more loyal _to me_. See how that works?" James says nothing. "Just bide your time, you'll have her before you know it. Well, that is of course if you can pull all of her pieces back together."

That being said, Marc walks off up the guys' dormitory stairs leaving James speechless. He does not even notice when Sirius and Marlene come in nervously together.

"Mate? You okay?" asks Sirius, watching Marlene run up the girls' staircase. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Not that'd be surprising seeing as you do every day but…"

James shakes his head. "I've just had an encounter with the devil."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

That Monday James still has no clue what he is going to do. He might still be trying to convince himself that he does not like Lily but he cannot bear to see her have her heart broken. Since everyone but Lily and Sirius have a free period, he decides to speak to Margaret in hopes that she will have a solution. Hopefully she will be sitting alone.

"Hey Margaret, can I talk to you for a moment?" he asks.

Thankfully she is sitting alone reading her Potions textbook to try and catch up in class. Potions is not her strongest subject like it is Lily's.

"Sure," she says, sounding relieved at the prospect of an interruption. "What's up James?"

James sits down awkwardly. He has never really had a one-on-one discussion before with Margaret. Usually there are other people there too.

"Well…you know Lily's date from the other night right?" he begins. "Marc Jacobs?"

Margaret nods. "Yeah, something seemed a little dodgy about him though. You know, the way he looked at Lily when she wasn't looking. Perhaps I was imagining –"

James shakes his head. "I was talking to him last night and you'll never believe what he said." He recounts all of his and Marc's discussion to Margaret. When he has finished she looks shocked.

"Are you serious?" she cries.

"No, I'm James." She smacks him on the arm. "Of course I'm serious! Do you know how hard it is to make up stuff like that under pressure?"

"Sorry! Sorry! But where do I come in?"

James runs his hands through his hair irritated. "Well, Lily will no way in hell listen to _me_…"

"You _were_ friends for a brief period of time."

"Yeah, and you can see how well I did with that," James says drily, and Margaret nods nervously. "You're one of her best friends though so –"

"You want me to convince her to dump Marc?" James nods.

Margaret sighs. "Okay, I'll try my best as long as you answer me one question."

James shrugs. "Sure, anything."

"Does Remus really like Dorcas?" Her voice breaks and she says this in such a begging voice that it breaks James' heart to not give her the answer that she wants.

"I don't know," he says sadly. "I honestly have no clue. I think I have an idea of how we can get him to like you though."

Margaret raises an eyebrow.

"I'm listening."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily and Sirius are eejits. They should have listened to their friends and dropped Divination but instead have continued it for another year.

"Why'd we sign up for this again?" moans Lily, rubbing her temples. She also is not one to complain.

"Search me," mutters Sirius, laying his head upon their desk. "To make matters worse, it's the two of us with Snape, Mulciber, and Avery. Those are the only others who stayed in it but that's beyond me."

Lily silently agrees. She knows Severus was never fond of the practice of Divination and they had often joked about it when they were still friends.

"Welcome class," greets Professor Cassandra Trelawney, coming out from her back room. She has huge glasses on the magnified her eyes making her look like an oversized insect. She also is wearing numerous drapes and shawls, which Lily is surprised she has not tripped on by now. She looks around at the extraordinarily small class and gasps.

"What is it?" asks Lily hesitantly. Professor Trelawney always makes terrible predictions in regard to each of their fates. The other day she told Lily she had Seen her next to a crib, her arms spread wide in a protecting fashion. Sirius had found it amusing but Lily, quite frankly, found it odd and disturbing.

"I see…one of you…betraying another out of loyalty…and fear," she says, pausing every once in a while for dramatic affect.

Sirius snorts. "I already know someone in this room who betrayed another but it wasn't out of loyalty or fear." He looks pointedly at Severus.

"At least I don't need three other people to back me up before I attack someone," says Severus loudly. Sirius makes to get up but Lily grabs his arm and pulls him back down. He is glad she does because he had momentarily forgotten he is in class and eyes the sniggering Slytherins with distaste. When Professor Cassandra has her back turned he gives them a rude hand gesture.

"Anyway," says the Professor turning around, disabling the Slytherins from responding, "today you will be reading each others fates in cards." She waves her wand and a pack of card goes to each table. "You may begin."

Lily groans. Why she is still in this blasted subject is beyond her knowledge. She opens the box of cards and shuffles them, then tells Sirius to pick three.

"All right, what does the first picture show?" asks Lily, opening her textbook.

Sirius turns over the first card and grins.

"It's a picture of a black, shaggy dog," he says mysteriously. Lily gasps.

"Sirius! That's a Grim!" she cries. "It's the Omen of Death!"

Sirius shakes his head. "I thought you don't believe in this rubbish?"

Lily flushes. "It's j-just I don't want to see you die!"

Sirius grins. "Aw, if only you felt that way for the first five and a half years we spent here. And don't worry, I know for a fact that it isn't representing a Grim."

"How do you know?"

Sirius pauses. "Intuition?" Something clicks in her head.

"It's your animagus, isn't it?" Lily says, rolling her eyes. Sirius stares at her in shock. "Intuition?"

He gives her a look. "James told you?"

"More like _showed_ me," Lily says grimly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she says quickly. "Never mind. Next card?"

Sirius' brow furrows. "It's a heart."

Lily flips through the book and smirks.

"You're going to fall in love with someone soon," she says, grinning. "Any idea who?"

_I hope not_ thinks Sirius. He shrugs and looks at his next card. "The next one is just pitch black…darkness."

Lily flips the pages for a few minutes before she finds anything.

"It's supposed to mean capture, a sort of imprisonment," she says hesitantly. "What could that mean?"

Sirius looks at the card darkly (**A/N: No pun intended**).

"The only type of imprisonment I could think of is if I have to live at my parents house for the rest of my life. Let's do your deck."

Lily hesitates again but takes three cards from the deck. She makes to push the book towards Sirius but he denies it.

"We don't need that load of rubbish, I'm sure anything we get we could figure out on our own." Lily shrugs and looks at the first card. She then blanches.

"I-It's a picture of a Broomstick and – and a Quaffle," she falters. No…these card readings are utter rubbish. There is no way it could mean what she thinks it does.

"Hmm…a Quidditch Chaser," muses Sirius, trying hard not to get too excited for his best friend. He does not care how much James tries to convince himself and Sirius, he would never be over Lily.

Lily looks at the next card.

"It's…a mint leaf?" says Lily slowly.

Sirius thinks for a second then grins. Lily's initial confusion fades and she puts the card down shakily. She gulps and takes a deep breath before picking up the final card.

"And the last card is – a…" begins Lily but her voice dies. All remaining color has been drained from her face.

Sirius takes the card from her has to restrain himself from jumping up and down in excitement.

"James and Lily sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i…" begins Sirius. The Slytherins look over at them as Lily smacks him over the head. He pouts but then smirks at Severus who seems to have heard the whole conversation. His face appears to be devoid of colour.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

_His_ Lily? To become in love with "precious" _Potter_? It is absurd! Well, they have been spending an awful amount of more time together than they have in the past five and a half years combined, but _Potter_? He is sure not loyal enough to be Lily's like Severus is. He is a pigheaded _womanizer!_ For Merlin's sake, Severus knew Lily before Hogwarts! He had been the one to introduce the magical world to her! No. No way in hell will he let _James Potter,_ or anyone for that matter, steal his Lily away.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James is used to crying girls. He has broken their hearts more than he can count but dealing with Lisa was no easier. She was practically crying a river and throwing an all out temper tantrum when he ended the brief "thing" they had. He cannot think of that now though. Him and Margaret have a plan and in order to properly execute it, he cannot be in a relationship with anyone.

"So, I tried talking to Lily," says Margaret to James in between classes when it is just the two of them.

"And?" says James, praying for the best. It is in vain though because he knows that Lily is the most hardheaded person he has ever met. Her refusal to go out with him all these years is proof of that.

"Her exact words were that it is a load of utter rubbish and to fuck off," says Margaret. James raises an eyebrow. "Most likely because I asked her in the morning and if you know Lily, you know she's _not_ –"

" – A morning person," finishes James. "Yes, so I've heard." Margaret smiles. James must really care for Lily if he bothered enough to see what she really is like.

"Anyway," continues Margaret, "I think we're going to need a new plan if we want this to work."

James smiles. "Luckily for you I already came up with a plan B."

"Great! What is it?" asks Margaret.

"I need to pretend to date you to make Lily jealous. Hopefully she'll break up with Marc before he hurts her and that way Remus might also become jealous. It's a win, win situation for all of us."

"Someone still gets hurt though," mutters Margaret.

"Who?"

"Dorcas. Regardless of my jealousy that she's going out with Remus, she's a good friend and I wouldn't want to see her hurt."

James had not thought of it in that perspective but there is no going back on it now. It is too good of a plan to not use.

"Also, haven't you been trying to convince everyone you're over Lily?" asks Margaret with a hint of a smile on her face.

"Damn you," says James placidly, and Margaret laughs.

"When do we start…'going out?'" she whispers the last part so no one can hear the sarcasm.

James looks at his watch. "Well, lunch begins in five. I'd say then is about as good a time as any since the Great Hall is at its fullest."

Margaret nods and takes a deep breath. Somehow, this does not feel right…

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You're a pig," says Lily in disgust. She is sitting with Marlene, Alice, Frank, Remus, Dorcas, Peter, and Sirius. They are all watching the latter stuff his face with everything in vicinity.

"'Dank oo," says Sirius, spewing food all over Remus.

"Urg! Padfoot, please!" groans Remus. Dorcas takes a napkin and begins wiping his face with a loving look on her face. Remus smiles at her and looks at her curiously when she drops the napkin in shock.

"No. Way," she gasps. They all turn to the doorway to see what she is gaping at and gasp too. Margaret and James walk in, smiling and ignoring all the glares both were receiving, obviously each from the opposite sex.

"What the hell is going on here?" asks Lily sharply as Marc sits down next to her. Remus' eyes are also narrowed slightly.

"Hey Lils," James greets, putting on a smile.

"Hi," she says absentmindedly. "Well? Is anyone going to answer?"

James looks at Margaret. "I think Margaret can explain this one."

Margaret smiles at James sardonically, and all notice it except for Lily whose head is swimming. "Thanks…sweetie. Well, what you see is what's true. James and I are officially…together."

Lily feels all cold inside.

"Excuse me, I think I forgot my Herbology book upstairs," she says, getting up. "I'll be right back." She kisses Marc on the cheek and runs upstairs.

"Lily! Wait up!" calls Alice. She gets up, kisses Frank on the cheek also, and runs after her best friend.

Remus watches the two best friends go and something shifts inside of him. Lily does not need her Herbology textbook.

"That was odd," comments Peter before stuffing more food in his mouth.

"Not really," murmurs Margaret. She looks at James who is also looking slightly unsettled. She does not like this. She does not like this one bit.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily opens the door to her dormitory and falls on her bed, closing her curtains before succumbing into tears. This is extremely worrisome because Lily Evans rarely cries. She only really cried when her parents had been killed and even then it had been kept to a bare minimum. She has to accept it now and she knows the second she admits it, she is screwed. She screams into her pillow.

"Lily?" whispers Alice through her curtains. Lily emits another muffled scream since her face is smushed in her pillow. Alice sighs.

"Lily, I know that you're not looking for your book so don't even feed me that cock-and-bull story. Please open the curtains."

Lily yanks open the curtains to reveal herself to Alice.

Alice is shocked. She has seldom seen Lily Evans cry but here it is as clear as day. Her face is all blotchy and red and her hair is now tangled from flopping on the bed.

"Oh Merlin, Lily, it's okay," sighs Alice, sitting down next to her friend. She had a bad feeling something like this would happen sooner or later. "Shhh…" Lily has begun crying again.

"I – I can't deny it anymore Alice," sobs Lily, and Alice gasps. "I – I know I l-like J-James." She lets out a wail of despair and flings her body on her bed. Lily is no drama queen but right now it feels like her entire world is crashing down around her and that she needs to grab onto something to steady herself.

"Oh, Lily," is all Alice says while squeezing her friend's hand comfortingly.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: I know this is short and I was going to add the next chapter onto it until I realized that that needs to be an independent one. Please review!


	14. A Cunning Plan and A Rescue Mission

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 14 – A Cunning Plan and A Rescue Mission

"_Oh Lily."_

Lily now knows there is no more trying to deny it. She may have, if anything, a small crush on James – oh, whom is she kidding? She is falling head over heels for him and she does not like it one bit. I mean, Merlin! Where is this coming from? She has despised him for the past five and a half years so why not now?

_Maybe because he's changed_ says the voice inside her head.

_How can somebody change in your eye in a day? You can't go to sleep and wake up liking someone!_ Argues Lily to herself.

_Apparently you can and you did_ replies the voice simply. _Now your best friend is trying to talk to you, how about you listen?_

_You're not the boss of me! Wow, am I really fighting with myself?_

Lily turns to see Alice looking at her with a concerned expression on her face.

"Are you okay, Lily?" she asks tentatively.

Lily sighs and ran her fingers through her messy hair.

"We had better get moving if we want to get to Herbology in time," is all she says.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"The Potter brat must be disposed of soon," whispers Lord Voldemort. "And I know just who's going to help me."

"Snape! Bellatrix! Front and center!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James walks into his room after dinner that night. Lily has not spoken to him or Margaret since they announced their "relationship status" and ate quickly before running up to her room. He supposes she is pissed that she had not been told about the two of them "going out" but he is not sure and does not want to get his hopes up about the alternative. Not to have them crushed like they have been so many times before.

He walks over to his bed and sees a note on his pillow. It must be from a girl (at least he hopes so) because there are bright red hearts drawn all over it.

_Dear James,_

_Tomorrow is our first Hogsmeade since getting back and I thought it would be nice to meet in the abandoned old warehouse. More people will see you walking down and think we're even more serious if we're meeting in secret. Meet me there at 12:00 PM sharp. I have to meet with the girls beforehand. Make sure no one follows you._

_See you then,_

_Margaret_

He looks at the note but specifically at the hearts. Besides the fact that they are not even truly together, the hearts disturb him. It does not seem like the Margaret he knows at all but he figures he need not dwell on it. She must have done it incase one of the others came in and read it before him. Privacy, after all, is not in the Marauders vocabulary with the exception of Remus.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You must not let the sunlight hit you," instructs Lord Voldemort. "Otherwise, your cover will be blown and believe me, you will pay."

"Yes, My Lord," whispers his two followers. They bow down to him on the cold, forest floor and kiss his feet. "As you wish."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James and the other Marauders are now lounging in their dormitory, none really speaking to the other. James is laying on his bed fooling around with the Snitch he nicked last year. Sirius is on his bed changing the colour of Remus' curtains constantly, thus annoying Remus who is trying to finish his Potions homework and cannot concentrate with constantly changing neon curtains. And finally, Peter is sleeping on his bed, fully clothed and drooling. It is an average night in the dormitory and it is only when Remus breaks the silence that things change course.

"Would you _stop?"_ he barks at Sirius, who just smirks and changes Remus' curtains to Pepto-Bismol. Remus glares at him and changes them back. He then successfully Disarms Sirius, who pouts.

"Aw Moony, you're no fun!"

"I'm _trying_ to finish my homework. You know, that thing that you need to do in order to graduate?"

Sirius shrugs. "It always gets done." Remus snorts.

"Yeah, normally from copying off of mine." Before Sirius can retort he turns to James and asks tersely, "So, when'd you and Margaret start going out?"

James looks up in surprise and scrutinizes Remus. His face seems devoid of emotion but James can sense there is something going on. He detected a touch of bitterness in his tone.

"This afternoon," says James slowly. "Why?"

"Just don't hurt her, James," Remus says, jumping to the point of his asking. He has never been one for beating around the bush.

James raises an eyebrow. "And what makes you think that I would do that? I – care about her." It is not a total lie but he does not mean it in the way that he is hoping to get across.

Remus narrows his eyes. He can see through lies without trouble and it is clear as day to him that James is lying. To what extent, he is not sure.

"So it just happens to be a coincidence that you 'get over' Lily and then go off and date her best friend?" says Remus, his voice deadly silent. James hesitates and looks at Sirius, who has been watching the entire exchange in interest. When Sirius says nothing to support him, James has no choice but to respond.

"Yes." Remus gives him a look.

"You're playing with Lily _again_. James, you're a God awful liar."

Shit.

"Are you sure you're not just jealous that Margaret's no longer interested in you?" James says before he realizes what he is saying.

Double shit.

Sirius chokes on the glass of water he had been drinking and Remus' eyes widen considerably. He looks at James incredulously.

"Can you pretend like I _didn't_ say that?" James pleads.

"Say what?" replies Sirius, and James grins at him. Remus, however, is not so easily swayed.

"She likes – _liked_ me?" he murmurs, still in shock. James nods hesitantly. "_Why?"_ James looks at Sirius again.

"I thought he was supposed to be the smart one."

"Says who? I'm pretty sure I'm the brightest one here."

"In _what way?"_

"When it comes to the ladies." James rolls his eyes. "Moony, if I wasn't straight I'd date you."

Remus raises his eyebrows and Sirius leaps off of his bed and onto Remus'. He begins cuddling next to him.

"Oh, my God, ME TOO!" he squeals, waking Peter up. "I mean, his hair is the perfect shade of blonde, and THOSE EYES! THEY'RE SO DREAMY! And he's totally fuckable –"

"SIRIUS!" Remus yells, and James roars with laughter.

"Pads, that was genius!" cries James, and Peter looks at all three of them disoriented.

"Was' going on?" he slurs. "All I heard is something about Moony being –"

"ENOUGH!" shouts Remus as James and Sirius high five. "Don't encourage him," he says grimly. "How do you even know she likes me?"

"Erm – well, it's pretty obvious from the way she wouldn't look at you when you two were dancing," says James, studying Remus. He says nothing. "And two, she mentioned it to me…before." He caught himself before he said recently. That was a close call.

Remus looks at him suspiciously.

"How exactly does something like that come up in conversation with someone you hardly know?" he asks warily.

"She wanted to know if you really liked Dorcas."

"Do you?" Sirius asks quickly.

"Of course," Remus says without missing a beat. James and Sirius give him a look. Peter has already fallen back to sleep.

"Seriously Moony," says Sirius, completely serious this time and not joking about his name. "Do you have legitimate feelings for her or are you going to back out again because you don't want to get too close?"

Remus is silent. To be honest, he has been thinking about breaking it off with Dorcas soon. They just do not have that much in common and he does not want her to get too used to the idea of them going out. The sooner he gets it over with the less pain she will be in. She does not deserve to be with someone like him and be subjected to pain and prejudice. She can do so much better.

"You're wrong," James says quietly as if he read Remus' mind. "I know what you're thinking Remus and you couldn't be more wrong. Dorcas would be lucky to have a bloke like you and –"

"We've been through this," Remus says irritated. "If I get too close it'll only hurt them more when I have to end it. No one deserves to live in constant fear that I'll hurt them."

"You've never hurt a flea, mate," counters Sirius.

"I don't think the scars on your arms have completely faded since our last escapade."

"We take those willingly. So will Dorcas if you give her the chance." Remus is silent. "However, I do think you should end things with her?"

"Why?" Remus asks in surprise. "I mean, I was going to but for the reason you just said I shouldn't. What other reason could there be?"

"Because you don't reciprocate the feelings she has for you."

"That's not –"

"That's absolutely true," says James. "I can see it in your eyes when you look at her, mate. You want to and you want to bad but it's not there. I've only seen a flicker of that look in your eyes once before and it was when you were –"

"Don't say it, Prongs," begs Remus.

" – Dancing with Margaret." Remus glares at him. "What's wrong with possibly liking – maybe _loving_ – Margaret?"

"Nothing!" he yells, clutching his hair, looking slightly crazy. James and Sirius look at him worried. "That's the thing! I _know_ I can easily fall in love with her and it scares the hell out of me! Not just because I could end up hurting her but because I've never loved someone in that way before. What if I mess it up? What if I _do_ feel that way and she doesn't return the feelings?" He curses. "She wouldn't return them! She's dating _you!"_

This entire thing is turning into one big mess. James never meant for it to go this far. Him and Margaret should have never messed with Remus and Lily's heads. It is too late to go back now though.

"Moony, she doesn't like me," sighs James. "We only did it to get Lily to dump Marc and I got her in on it by saying it might get you interested in her."

Remus' facial expression turns from shock to fury.

"You EEJIT!" Remus yells. For the first time in his life, he loses his temper and lunges at James. James is quick though and pins him down. Remus struggles to get up but James is stronger.

"Why am I an eejit?" James asks calmly, and Remus' eyes flash.

"Open your eyes James and see what's right in front of you. Lily is falling for you hard and fast."

James' heart skips a beat but he shakes his head. No, he is not going to get his hopes up again. He has had them crushed one too many times.

"You're wrong."

"Did you not see the way she was when you and Margaret walked in during lunch?" seethes Remus. "Did you _not see_ how puffy her eyes were when her and Alice arrived in Herbology? Are you _that daft_ -?"

James gets up off of him and runs his hands through his hair. She likes him… He feels elated yet hates himself at the same time. Why can he not stop playing games with her? Would she have liked him if Margaret and him were not doing this farce? Probably, he _did_ see that way she looked at him over Christmas…

"I'm a git."

"No arguing here." Remus gets up, having calmed down considerably, and sits back on his own bed.

"What do you think mate?" James asks, turning to Sirius. Sirius, who has been remarkably quiet throughout this, shrugs.

"I think you need to re-evaluate your feelings for Miss Lily," he states. "You keep telling us how much you love her – or you used to anyway – but you keep playing with her and making her feel like shit."

It is moments like these when James feels that he is talking to the real Sirius and not the jokester everyone perceives him to be. Sure, he likes his laughs but he does have a sensitive bone in his body.

"So Remus, do you like Margaret?" James asks, mostly so he does not have to think about how he screwed up.

Even though he knows the reason James asked him this was to divert the attention off of himself, Remus considers it for a moment.

"I think I do," he says quietly. "More and more each day."

James and Sirius beam at each other and Remus sighs. For some reason this is the hardest thing he has ever had to admit.

Probably because he knows this will be no passing crush.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily is not looking forward to a Hogsmeade trip for the first time in her life. James and Margaret will be walking around, officially a couple, and whenever she thinks of it, it makes her heart temporarily stop beating. It is like someone punching her in the gut and leaving her on the ground in agony.

"Are you okay, Lily?" asks Marlene as the four walk to Hogsmeade. It was eleven thirty and Lily has not said anything since she woke up.

Lily shrugs.

"Are you still mad at me, Lily?" asks Margaret. She hates it that her best friend is angry with her.

"I'm not mad at you," Lily says shortly, but Margaret knows she is upset.

"Come on, let's go into the Three Broomsticks," suggests Alice. "I'm meeting Frank but I'm sure we can all sit together."

Lily knows she is only suggesting this to get her mind off of James and even though she knows it will not work Lily appreciates it nonetheless. She smiles at Alice as they walk into the crowded bar/restaurant. She remembers James coming in a few month's later than this time last year when her and Remus were sitting a few days after the "incident by the tree", as it has been dubbed.

_-Flashback-_

"_Come on Evans. I know you secretly love being asked out by the handsomest guy around," a husky voice says from behind her. "Who else would bother to pay that much attention to you? And there's more to you than just that part?"_

_She whips around and looks up, glaring at a cocky James Potter._

_"Sod off Potter," she growls. "As a matter of fact, yes, there is another side to me and you know as well as I do that the only reason no other guy will ask me out is because they are afraid of you."_

"_And rightfully so. If I can't have you, nobody can."_

_Lily's eyes flash dangerously and Remus gulps. The restaurant and bar gets suddenly silent, interested in watching the back-and-forth between Lily and James._

"_Is that so?"_

_"Of course. Even if someone did want to go out with you though, they would have to realize that they won't be able to do anything with you seeing as you have a big metal pole there."_

_The whole bar oohs, particularly the men and their dates smack them. Lily narrows her eyes._

_"Why don't you go bother somebody else Potter? Is it really that hard to see that not everyone melts at your feet?" Several people wolf-whistle and clap. "Come on Remus, let's go somewhere with that better view."_

_"Yeah, she's right Moony, you'd better leave now," retorts James. "Didn't you read the sign? No dogs allowed."_

_The whole place gasps as does Remus. James has crossed the line now. In fact, he might as well have dug his own hole and jumped into it._

_In a flash, Lily is up and her wand is pointing threateningly at him, as is his at her._

_"You wouldn't dare," sneers Lily. "Plus, I'm doing you a favor by damaging you."_

_"Oh, yeah? How's that?" asked James._

_"If you fall down and get hurt one day you can blame it on your inability to see past your nose."_

_He looks at her like she is crazy as she waves her wand and silently casts a curse on him. To everyone's horror, James' head begins swelling up to the size of a Muggle hot air balloon. Lily was right in that he will not be able to see the ground due to his now abnormally large nose._

_"I've always said your head is full of hot air," says Lily laughing derisively. "And now it fits your ego too!"_

_-End Flashback-_

Lily smiles at the memory. Now looking back on that day for the first time in a while, she realizes how ridiculous it really was. She completely overreacted, though James had acted like a pompous git in his own right.

"Hey guys," greets Frank. He is sitting with Remus, Dorcas, Sirius, and Peter. "What's up?"

Alice just shakes her head and sits down next to her boyfriend. Lily sighs and looks out the window. Something does not seem right though. There is James, walking down the street but then a pair are either going the same direction or following him. It is an odd pair too. The sunlight hits them and she sees the face of what looked like Andromeda Tonks and…_Severus?_

"That's weird," says Remus suddenly. "Margaret, aren't you supposed to be with Prongs right now?"

Margaret looks at him strangely. "Not that I'm aware of. I haven't seen him all day."

Fear is bubbling up inside of Lily. James is in trouble especially if Severus is following him. But Andromeda…

"Bellatrix!" she bursts out. Everyone looks around in shock then realizing the Witch was not there, turns back to glare at Lily.

"Don't _do_ that, Lily!" cries Marlene. "I thought Bellatrix had actually managed to get in here!" Everyone nods looking at Lily like she is mental. She shakes her head.

"No. I saw James walking outside before –"

"Well that's not so strange, it is a day off where you can go wherever you want," says Dorcas. It is Remus' turn to shake his head.

"But James said that Margaret had left him a note saying to meet him at an abandoned warehouse at the end of the street," says Remus anxiously. "Damn it! Prongs is an idiot! The letter said to make sure no one follows!"

"And now I saw Severus and Bellatrix, who looks like Andromeda, walking down the street following him," whispers Lily.

Sirius growls and stands up along with the rest of them.

The nine run out of the bar/restaurant with their wands at the ready. They race down the street and stop at the corner. They see James' cloak disappear and watch as the two Death Eaters follow him. This does not look good.

They hurry after the three and reach the warehouse as the door slams shut and locks itself. There is a crash and a moan. Alice has to hold her hand over Lily's mouth from screaming and giving them away.

"I know it looks bad, honey, but wait a second," whispers Alice. "The last thing we need is to be discovered before –"

"_Bombarda!"_ shouts Sirius.

" – We want to be," finishes Alice, glaring at Sirius. "I think a simple _Alohamora_ would have done the trick." He shrugs as the door blasts open and they run in to see James laying against the wall. His arm is twisted in an awkward position. Both Lily and Margaret run over to him. Remus notices this and shifts uncomfortably. Maybe James is wrong. Maybe Margaret does…

"Alice and Frank, go and get Professor Dumbledore or any other teacher you can find quickly," orders Lily before he can finish his thought.

They nod and run out.

"Are you okay?" asks Lily. James looks up at her surprised and smiles weakly before wincing.

"I think my arm is broken," he murmurs, looking slightly dazed. Lily can feel his hot breath on her skin and almost melts right then and there. She cannot though. Not when there are still Death Eaters somewhere and they are all in danger.

"Where are they?" asks Margaret worriedly.

"How about you turn around you filthy Half-Blood," sneers a female voice. Lily and Margaret whip around and come face-to-face with Bellatrix Black. At first glance the room had appeared to be empty.

"And if it isn't the half-breed, the girlfriend, the mudblood, the other Blood-Traitor (Marlene), and my little cousin," she smirks.

Lily gasps and looks at Remus. His eyes have changed from their normal pale blue to a dark, murky one. He looks at Bellatrix with utter hatred.

Lily's eyes then flicker towards the corner where Severus is standing looking awkward. He seems to always be like that when she is there. Lily silently wonders what he is like when she is not there.

"Remus, you're a –" begins Dorcas.

"You," growls Sirius. "Haven't you caused enough harm already?"

Bellatrix smirks. "I act upon orders and my orders were to target one in particular who seems to be more difficult than the Dark Lord bargained for." She looks at Lily and James, smirking derisively. Lily feels like the world has stopped spinning. They are going after _James_ now?

"That's why he's done all this? Voldemort –" she begins.

"HOW _DARE_ YOU SPEAK THE DARK LORD'S NAME!" shrieks Bellatrix. "You filthy little mudblood!"

James growls though he is slowly losing consciousness.

"Don't. Call. Lily. That. Name," he snarls. She turns to look at him, fear etched on her face. She can hear the effort it takes for him to just say that. He must have been blown back on the ground and have hit his head on the wall.

"Shut your mouth," says Bellatrix coldly. "_Stupefy!"_

The power behind the spell is the equivalent of six stunning spells. James, having inched away from the wall, blasts back again and they all hear his head make a sickening thud on the wall. Lily shrieks as blood begins oozing out of his head and down his face.

"You vile –" she begins again.

"Flattery will get you no where," Bellatrix sneers. She raises her wand, pointing it at the ceiling and cries, "_Expulso!"_

Lily hears Marlene and Dorcas shriek, Margaret and Remus gasp, and Sirius growl as the ceiling collapses, trapping them all. She hears a loud crack and realizes Bellatrix must have Disapparated with Severus. She groans.

"Is everyone okay?" she asks. She hears various replies all stating that they are okay except for James. She assumes he must be knocked out still from the force of the spell.

They sit in silence for a few minutes before Sirius says, "So, any idea when Dumbledore will get here?"

Lily shrugs. "I'd like to think soon but you never know…traffic…"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice and Frank run down the street and back up to the castle. They race up the stone steps and then the Marble steps and all the way to Professor Dumbledore's office.

"Any idea what the password is?" asks Frank panting.

Alice, panting also, hesitates before saying, "No clue."

"Well, Dumbledore certainly likes his sweets. We might as well just go guessing randomly and hope we get it right eventually." Alice shrugs.

"Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans…Lemon Drops (what? He told me he likes them)…Droobles Best Blowing Gum…Chocolate Frog…?"

The eagle leaps aside to admit them to the office. They look at each other then shrug, taking the steps two at a time. Once at the door they pause, unsure on whether to knock or to just go in. Deciding it would be rude to barge in on the Headmaster, Frank opts to knock.

"Come in," says a voice. Frank opens the door and him and Alice stride in purposefully.

"Ah, Miss Prewitt and Mr. Longbottom," greets Professor Dumbledore. "To what do I owe this pleasant visit? I must admit, I am a bit surprised you're not in Hogsmeade on such a nice –"

"Sir, I don't mean to be rude," interrupts Alice, "but several of our friends are in grave danger right now."

Professor Dumbledore turns to look at her, his eyes serious.

"Please explain."

"Well, you see…Lily saw James heading down the street today and then noticed what appeared to be Andromeda Tonks and Severus Snape following him –"

"Andromeda was in the presence of Mr. Snape?" says Professor Dumbledore surprised.

Frank shakes his head. "It turned out to be Bellatrix who looks extraordinarily like her sister." Dumbledore nods in understanding. "Well, we all knew something was up and followed them. We got to the old abandoned warehouse where James was headed and her and Snape had ambushed him."

"The important thing though is James is hurt and we need to get help there, Professor," says Alice hastily.

Professor Dumbledore, having absorbed all this information faster than average man, nods and says:

"Lead the way."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"77 bottles of Firewhiskey on the wall, 77 bottles of Firewhiskey," sings Sirius dully. "Take one down, pass it around, 76 bottles of Firewhiskey on the wall."

Lily sighs. "Do I even want to know how you know that song?"

Sirius shakes his head. "Probably not."

"Good. We saved a lot of time and probably a million sexual innuendos," says Peter, trying to lighten the mood. Sirius snickers for a moment then falls silent once again.

"How's James doing?" asks Remus. Lily looks over at him and gasps.

"He's losing some blood but nothing too serious."

"Then why did you gasp?"

"Because he's as pale as a sheet."

"Oh, well as long as he's okay," says Sirius sarcastically.

"Now's not the time to be bickering!" exclaims Margaret. Everyone turns to try and look at her. "The last thing we need is to fight amongst ourselves. I'm sure Alice and Frank are coming with Dumbledore and will arrive at any moment."

_I hope_.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So, some predicament, huh?" Sirius murmurs to Marlene. He stretches out his legs as much as he can. She smirks, then bursts out laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"That was my…"

"Oh, Merlin," whispers Sirius, and Marlene falls into a fit of giggles.

"You're amazing, you know that?" she whispers so no one can hear. "You know how to make the best of any situation."

Sirius shrugs. "I could be a pessimist but I kind of figured now is not the time. Plus, I hear chicks dig a guy who's optimistic."

Marlene snorts. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

"I don't know, I say a lot of things."

Marlene rolls her eyes. "I thought I heard you say, 'chicks dig a guy who's optimistic.'"

Sirius cringes. "Do I always sound that shallow?"

"You're just noticing?"

He shrugs. "I figure my charm is enough to woo the ladies and they'll disregard that flaw."

"Not all 'ladies'," whispers Marlene, and Sirius' smile falters.

"It's worked so far, hasn't it?" Marlene hesitates and then smiles lopsidedly.

"That it has."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Where do you think Alice and Frank are?" asks Dorcas.

"I don't know," sighs Remus. "Maybe they had trouble getting into his office. Dumbledore always did have a sweet tooth though. Perhaps they finally guessed it after a while and now they're bringing him here."

Dorcas smiles. "Do you know what I love about you?"

"W-What?" asks Remus hesitant. He hears a sharp intake of breath behind him and realize it is Margaret. Why does she have to be right behind them? Dorcas notices this and continues on loudly as though she is not aware that she just said something _very important_.

"The fact that no matter how bad a situation is, you always manage to try and look on the bright side."

Remus forces a smile and sees out of his peripheral vision, Margaret staring intently at him. He tries to ignore her but it is proving to be difficult.

"Hey! I think I hear something!" cries Lily. Everyone turns to look at her sharply. "Yes, that's definitely someone scraping outside."

"We're in here!" they all scream.

"Is anyone near the door?" calls Professor Dumbledore.

"Yes, Sirius and Marlene!" calls back Lily.

"Try and get away from it!"

They shift their position over to where Lily and James are. Halfway there Marlene stumbles and lands on Sirius, who grins at her. She blushes and smacks him on upside the head.

"Okay, it's clear!" Lily calls.

There is a flash of turquoise light and the whole wall is completely demolished without a sound. The good news is that there is enough room to enable them to leave.

"Oh, thank Merlin!" murmurs Lily. "Can someone levitate these planks off my legs? I'm losing circulation and my wand is somewhere in the rubble."

Alice takes out her wand and murmurs _Wingardium Leviosa_, and throws the planks to an empty corner in the warehouse. She then summons Lily's wand and catches it.

"James is hurt," says Lily, getting up. "Bellatrix's stunning spell knocked him out." She walks over to him quickly and there is a crack and floor beneath her breaks.

"LILY!" everyone cries.

Lily shrieks as the floor beneath her breaks and she goes tumbling down. There is a splash and she lands in the water from the rain that had happened last night. It appears that it has begun raining during the time they were stuck in the abandoned warehouse and they just had not noticed it. The water is freezing cold and is steadily rising higher. Standing up, like she is, it is up to her knees.

"Lily!" calls Margaret. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yes! It's freezing down here th-though and the w-water is r-r-rising!" cries Lily, shivering in fear.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"LILY!" everyone cries.

"Lily!" calls Margaret, leaning slightly forward. "Are you okay?"

What Sirius hears next is frightening.

"Y-Yes! It's freezing down here th-though and the w-water is r-r-rising!" cries Lily.

Making a quick-second decision, Sirius knows what he has to do. James will never forgive himself if something happens to Lily and since he is unavailable at the moment, Sirius will have to step up for him. He slowly walks up to where Margaret is standing, takes a deep breath and –

"Sirius? What are you doing?" asks Marlene a second too late. He jumps in after Lily.

"SIRIUS!" they all cry again.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Sirius?" whispers Lily. He stands up, shivering slightly and grins at her. Her eyes widen.

"S-Sirius, are you m-mental?" she gasps. "Wh-Why did y-you come down h-h-ere?"

Sirius snorts. "Do you honestly think James would f-forgive me if I let the girl of his dreams drown alone? Nah, we're in this together now so I suggest we make some pleasant conversation."

Lily sighs, crossing her arms to keep warm, and stares at him with a look of trepidation.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Sir, you have to get them out!" exclaims Alice.

"I am fully aware of that, Miss Prewitt but my first concern is to get Mr. Potter up to the Hospital Wing."

"But what about Sirius and Lily?" cries Marlene. "They could _die_ down there!"

"I don't think you're giving your friends enough credit, Miss McKinnon," says Professor Dumbledore quietly. "They are, after all, Gryffindors and I am sure will be able to hang in there for a little while."

"They're also human and can get hypothermia or worse," says Remus through clenched teeth. "Merlin knows how fast that water is rising down there. It could be up to their necks by now!"

Professor Dumbledore sighs again. "If we're going to save all three of your friends, I'm going to need each and every one of yours cooperation."

No one says anything to agree or disagree with him so he continues.

"Miss Prewitt and Mr. Longbottom, I am going to need you to alert Professor McGonagall about this seeing as you are all part of her responsibility since you are in her house."

Alice and Frank nod and runs off again.

Professor Dumbledore turns to look at Dorcas, Marlene, and Peter.

"I will need you, Miss McKinnon, to go and alert Madam Pomfrey that a student has been seriously injured. You two," he says, looking at Dorcas and Peter, "will need to assist me in bringing Mr. Potter up to the castle."

All three nod and Marlene begins running up to the castle as Professor Dumbledore conjures a stretcher for James.

"Now you two, Miss Smith and Mr. Lupin, will need to stay here and make sure Miss Evans and Mr. Black remain…average," instructs Professor Dumbledore. "If anything serious happens like one of them passing out, Mr. Lupin, I'm aware you are capable of sending Patronus messages?"

Remus nods and Margaret stares at him in shock. No one their age is able to successfully produce a Corporal Patronus. It is extraordinary magic.

"Send one to the school if something serious happens."

Without another word, he begins pushing the stretcher up to the school with his wand, Dorcas and Peter following in his wake. Dorcas looks over her shoulder, smiling at Remus and glaring at Margaret. Margaret raises an eyebrow and watches the three retreating figures.

Remus and Margaret look at each other and sit down.

"What was that about?" asks Remus curiously, and Margaret shrugs.

"I don't think your girlfriend likes me."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The water is steadily rising from the storm drain and is now up to their waists.

"S-So, some predicament, huh?" laughs Sirius weakly. He is trying hard not to show his desperation in wanting them out of here. Lily can get seriously sick and James will never forgive himself for that.

Lily gives him a look. "F-Firstly, now is not the t-t-time to j-joke. Secondly, y-you didn't h-have to c-come down h-h-ere."

"I already t-told you why I did," argues Sirius.

"And I've t-told y-you a m-million and one t-t-times, I'm n-not James' g-girl!"

"Yet," mutters Sirius.

"E-Excuse me?"

"N-Nothing."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Why wouldn't Dorcas like you?" asks Remus confused. "You're so easy to get along with."

Margaret skillfully hides her blush.

"I think she was mad at me for dancing with you back at the ball," replies Margaret. She cannot keep the blush off her face this time.

Remus' heart rate speeds up and hope swells up inside of him. There is still a chance to fix things…

"Why? It's not like we were ever together," he says carefully. He stares at her intently and she returns his intense gaze, not faltering.

"But she – loves you," chokes out Margaret, and Remus' heart skips a beat, "and for some reason she feels threatened by me."

"But so do you." He states this, hoping to catch her off guard and that he does. She narrows her eyes defensively.

"You must think a lot of yourself if you think I love you."

"Who says I was referring to that?"

Margaret's mouth drops open and she looks at him in horror. She fell right into his cleverly set trap. How could she have been so stupid?

"Is that why you blushed when Sirius called us Mr. and Mrs. Lupin?"

"Maybe. You did too though did you not?"

Remus opens his mouth and then closes it.

"Sirius was just being an idiot," he says quietly.

"Oh." Margaret looks away trying desperately to keep her tears back.

"Margaret, look at me," says Remus hopelessly. He feels as though he is turning into James and Sirius now. He does not want to be that guy that constantly sends mixed signals (**A/N: Too bad more guys can't be like Remus**).

She determinedly looks at the ground.

"_Please_ Margaret!" begs Remus. When she continues to ignore him he sighs and, with his thumb on the front of her chin and his pointer finger under her chin, lifts her chin up.

She has no choice but to look into his eyes now. She has always loved how his eyes are the perfect shade of pale blue. She has never really appreciated them though until now.

"I'm not judging you Margaret and I certainly do not want to send mixed signals anymore. I know that you and James are not really dating."

"How -?"

"He told me," he replies simply. "But that's not important. He – He let slip that you like me."

"I specifically asked him not to say anything! What was he thinking?" she cries suddenly.

"No, I'm glad he told me."

"Oh, really? _Yes,_ so we can have a big talk about it. You lot seem to always do this so you can drag it out, no matter how awkward it may be but I just don't see the point –"

"Margaret, I'm glad he told me because I feel the same way."

Margaret's eyes widen in shock and they soften slightly, but not before she can put up her defenses again.

"Remus, you shouldn't say things you don't mean."

"It's the truth," sighs Remus. "Merlin knows that I have tried to deny it, tried to look the other way, not because of you but because of me. But for the past few days I haven't been able to go through a day without thinking of you. Your smile, your beautiful eyes…"

"How do I know you're not just saying this because you feel guilty or like you owe me?" she counters.

"Trust me, Margaret, I don't usually tell people how I feel about them unless I truly mean it. Especially if they are deep, growing feelings due to my…condition."

"You mean your lycanthropy." He nods.

"If you feel differently now because of knowing that, I completely –"

"Are you mental? Remus, I've liked you since the beginning of our third year. Something as minor as you being a werewolf once a month isn't going to stop me from caring about you."

"_Minor?"_ he says incredulously. "If you consider being a beast minor, what do you consider _major?"_

"Having a sixth toe? I'm just kidding!" she cries, laughing. "Remus, I like you for _you_. The kind, sensitive, and loving guy that you are the other thirty days of the month. _That's_ the person that I have – fallen for."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"S-So, d-did you and J-James automatically b-become friends after S-Severus and I l-left that c-compartment in our f-first year?" asks Lily, trying to make conversation. The water is steadily rising and she has been shivering more violently. When will the rain let up?

Sirius looks sheepish. "Y-Yeah, pretty m-much. That k-kind of s-sealed the d-deal."

Lily chuckles weakly. "Of c-course."

Sirius is alarmed about how weak her chuckle sounds.

"D-During worse c-case scenario," he begins, "w-would you b-be able to tread w-water if you h-had to?"

Lily winces and shakes her head. "I t-think I l-landed the wrong way and t-twisted my ankle."

Sirius curses and nods grimly.

"D-Do you think y-you would have been f-friends with P-Prongs and I if w-we hadn't h-harassed S-Sniv – Snape?"

Lily thinks for a moment and then shakes her head. She turns red as she does this.

"M-My mum always told m-me to n-never b-be friends with or…d-date a boy who g-got in time out. Of course, th-that was when she th-thought I was a M-Muggle but I c-classified detention as th-the equivalent." (**A/N: Don't laugh at this. My mom told me the same thing**). Sirius let out a bark of laughter.

"Y-Yeah, our record was impeccable w-when it c-came to g-getting the m-most," he laughs. "St-Still is, for that matter."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I like you, Remus. I – l-like you a lot," continues Margaret, staring into Remus' eyes. He returns her gaze, his eyes soft. "But you're with Dorcas and I – I understand if you prefer her –"

Remus shakes his head as if to clear it.

"Just because I'm dating Dorcas doesn't mean I can't like you, Margaret," Remus whispers.

Margaret opens her mouth to argue but Remus takes advantage of the opportunity and leans in to kiss her.

_CLICK!_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"C-Can I ask you a question?" asks Sirius, trying to ignore the fact that the water is now up to his chest. _Where the hell is Dumbledore?_

"S-Sure, anyth-thing," gasps Lily. Her ankle is really starting to throb and the water had been up to her neck, since she is so much shorter than Sirius so he had lifted her on his shoulders. She is very light so even though he is strong it does not make a difference.

"D-Do you l-like James?"

Lily bites her lip. She can lie but she hates lying no matter the circumstances. The other option is telling him the truth but that can have detrimental results in the long run. Sirius, after all, is James' best mate and cannot keep a secret to save his life. Plus, he will definitely go and tell James that he has finally won.

She fiddles with her necklace given to her by James. The letters seem to be faded but becoming clearer. That blasted riddle…

"Y-You still with us L-Lily-bean?" stammers Sirius.

"Y-Yes. About your question…wh-why do you w-want to know?" Sirius looks up at her incredulously.

"Okay I have t-two responses to th-that question off of mine," he says slowly. "One, what kind of q-question _is_ that? Secondly, y-you're evading."

Lily was chewing on her lip so hard that it began bleeding. She inwardly cursed at her dumb habit and sighed.

"I'm not at liberty to say anything without my attorney," she jokes. Maybe she can steer this conversation completely in the other direction?

Sirius looks up again baffled. He should really pay better attention in Muggle Studies.

"This isn't some bloody Muggle soap opera, Lily-bean," he says seriously.

"Well as long as we're on the topic of Muggle soap operas, I really like General Hospital –" begins Lily, attempting to stir the conversation away from deep waters. How ironic yet a fruitless attempt (**A/N: Funny, that wasn't even intended to be ironic…**).

"S-Seriously Lily-bean, just answer the d-damn f-fricken q-question!" Sirius half-shouts.

Lily sighs. Sirius and her are friends right? Friends can trust each other no matter what, right?

"If I give you my answer, w-will you p-promise not t-t-t-to t-tell?" asks Lily nervously.

Sirius nods slowly so she does not fall off, his excitement steadily mounting.

Lily sighs again. "I – I l-like J-J-James." The stuttering this time has nothing to do with the freezing water.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Everything about this screams disaster in Margaret's head. Her and Remus are kissing…Remus has a girlfriend…Remus likes her…their friends are in danger…anyone can see them…

She pulls back automatically, surprising Remus.

"We can't do this!" cries Margaret shocked.

Remus shakes his head. "I know. I don't know what came over me."

"I like you Remus, but I'm sorry, I'm not going to be the one you cheat on your girlfriend with."

"I know," agrees Remus. He feels incredibly guilty now. He is not the kind of person to cheat on someone. That is occasionally James' and _mainly_ Sirius' place. He does not mean that to be mean, just truthful, which he is not being with Dorcas now. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," says Margaret. "It's not like I didn't like it but we can't make it a habit."

"Agreed."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sirius would have jumped for joy except for the fear that Lily will fall off of him. He cannot wait until he can tell James – but wait, he cannot tell James because Lily would kill him.

"It's about t-time!" is all he said. He cannot see but Lily rolls her eyes.

"Sh-Shut up," mutters Lily. "Y-You have t-t-t-to swear th-that you won't t-t-tell J-James."

"I w-won't t-tell him," agrees Sirius.

_Thank Merlin._

"Because you will."

_WHAT? NO WAY IN HELL!_

"Y-You h-have g-got t-to b-b-be off you're r-r-r-rocker!" exclaims Lily. Cold water is not the only reason chills are overcoming her.

"Wh-Why not tell him? You've g-got nothing t-to l-lose!"

"Yes I do!"

"L-Like what?"

"My s-self respect, m-my dignity," she lists off. Then adds, "M-My lunch."

Sirius snorts but it comes out as more of a cough. He begins coughing horribly, a cough that sounds like he is on the verge of getting pneumonia. Lily gasps.

"Oh, S-Sirius! Y-You're going to g-get sick and it's a-all my f-fault!" wails Lily.

Sirius shrugs. "I actually blame the eejit that built this place but it d-doesn't matter. L-Like I s-said, James w-would h-have never f-forgiven me or himself if I l-left you d-down h-h-here alone."

Lily smiles. "M-Maybe it's a s-sign. A sign th-that w-we actually do h-h-have more in c-common than m-m-meets the eye."

Sirius looks up at her.

"Like wh-what?"

"I don't know. You d-dislike your f-family –"

"Loathe."

"Loathe is a str-strong w-word. Anyway, I don't exactly get on with my s-sister and I g-guess in b-both of our c-cases the f-feeling is m-mutual."

Sirius nods. "I've already t-t-t-told you about why I…d-dislike m-my f-family. H-How about you t-tell me why y-you and y-your sister d-dislike each other. She seems to really –"

"Hate me?" sighs Lily.

"I didn't –"

"It's fine Sirius. I know you saw the way she acted at the wedding." Lily sighs and runs her hand through her hair. "It's a l-long story."

"Tr-Trust me, if you're up to it, we've g-got plenty of t-time."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Marlene is in shock: shock even though Madam Pomfrey has given her a Potion for it. She knows Sirius is brave but she cannot believe he would be so suicidal and jump into freezing cold water so easily. He could have died! Of course, she is worried about Lily too. In fact, she is glad someone is there to keep an eye on her since she may have broken her ankle. She is almost jealous of Lily and the fact that she gets one-on-one time with – _wait a second!_

No, this cannot be happening. She is falling for the all-time player Sirius Black. She always promised herself that she would never fall for someone like that but falling she is, and fast. It is times like these that Marlene thinks reality is a bitch.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Dorcas is not pleased, not pleased at all. She does not like the idea of Remus and Margaret waiting alone there. She honestly trusts Remus; it is just Margaret whom she does not trust. That tramp has already danced with Remus during the ball and it is so obvious that she likes him. The only person who does not know this is Remus. She just hopes the feelings will never reciprocate. She will not allow it, no matter what she has to do to accomplish her goal. No, Margaret will never get a chance with Remus if she has anything to do with it.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice is terrified. Professor McGonagall has insisted that Frank and her are to go back to their common room and they had no choice but to listen. They are now sitting by the fire, him tracing his thumb in circles on the top of her hand. They do not say much because they are lost in their own thoughts but just the fact that she knows she is not alone is enough to satisfy her. She is certain Lily would have broken her leg and does not know how long it will take before Dumbledore will go and get them or how. She knows she would have been alerted if they had come back and James has been curtained up in the Hospital Wing, not allowed to have any visitors while Madam Pomfrey worked. Alice thinks this was dumb, seeing as it is not as if James would even know they are there seeing as he is asleep. Even if they talk to him it would be like talking to a brick wall. Madam Pomfrey did not appreciate Alice's opinion on this, however, and shooed them out without any hesitation.

Alice sighs. Why does everything seem to happen to her friends, yet never her?

"Are you okay, Alice?" whispers Frank. She starts, having momentarily forgotten he is there next to her. She shakes her head.

"Why is it always somebody else? One of my friends?" asks Alice in a strained voice. "Why is it never me? Why can't it be _me_ for once?"

Frank shakes his head. "It's not your fault so don't go saying that. I know it's horrible what happened and this will sound selfish but I could never bare to go on if something happened to you. If you go down I'm going down with you."

Alice shakes her head. "I would never leave you. It would be impossible for me to move on. I care about you too much."

"I care about you too," Frank whispers in her ear. "That's why we've got to sit tight until we hear more."

Alice nods, grateful that the rest of the school is still in Hogsmeade. It is going to be a long night.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Wh-Where the h-hell is everyone?" yells Sirius angrily. The water is now up to his neck and he has to lift his head up so he can breathe. "MOONY!"

"Yeah?" calls back Remus. His voice sounds muffled and constricted but Sirius pays it no heed. He has other things to worry about.

"Wh-Where the h-hell is everyone?" Sirius reiterates.

"I don't know! I'll send a Patronus to – no, wait! Dumbledore's here!"

"Thank Merlin," breathes Sirius. "Lily-bean? Are you okay?"

No response. She has not said anything for the past few minutes.

"M-Moony! I think Lily-bean passed out!" yells Sirius.

"Don't worry, Mr. Black, we're going to get you out now," says Dumbledore. He speaks calmly and quietly but Sirius is still able to hear him all the way at the bottom.

Out of thin air, a rope materializes, long enough for Sirius to climb but there is no way he can bring Lily up on his shoulders. She will fall off especially considering the fact that she cannot hold onto him, leaving her as dead weight.

As if he read his mind, Sirius watches open-mouthed as Dumbledore climbs down the latter with the agility of a much younger man.

"After you, Mr. Black," he says cordially, helping take Lily off of his shoulders. Relief soars through his muscles as he climbs up the latter.

"Sirius! Thank god you're all right!" cries Margaret, hugging him. Sirius winks at Remus who just smiles slightly and looks the other way. Peculiar…

A second later comes a floating Lily.

_Dumbledore must have levitated her up_ muses Sirius. _Why didn't I think of that?_

_Well he is older and wiser_ says the voice in the back of his head.

_Oh, shut up._

"Is she going to be okay?" asks Remus concerned. He looks at Margaret whom has fear etched on her face. He puts his arms comfortingly around her shoulder to Sirius' surprise.

Professor Dumbledore nods. "I'm going to take her up to the castle and I suggest that you three come with me. Perhaps Madam Pomfrey will allow us to also visit Mr. Potter."

They all nod and head up to the castle, eager to tell everyone that Lily and Sirius are okay.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Poppy, we have two more patients for you," says Professor Dumbledore quietly. They all walk into the Hospital Wing, aside from Lily who is on a stretcher. Madam Pomfrey gasps.

"She's blue!" she exclaims but in hushed tones. "And what is wrong with Mr. Black?"

"I fear from the cold water he has been exhibited to, he may have pneumonia." As if on cue, Sirius sneezes and begins hacking. Madam Pomfrey nods solemnly.

"Yes, I'll prepare for him a Pepper-Up Potion and he'll be better in a jiffy. In the mean time, I'll tend to Ms. Evans seeing as it appears she has a broken ankle and her temperature needs to reach its normal level again."

Everyone nods and Margaret helps Madam Pomfrey change Lily into a clean, dry set of clothing and then places her into bed.

"I suggest you all get some rest," says Madam Pomfrey. "You should go up to your dormitories –"

"I'm going to get Alice and Marlene," says Margaret stubbornly. "We're not leaving Lily's side."

"Same goes for Peter and myself, we want to be by Sirius, James, and Lily," says an adamant Remus.

Madam Pomfrey sighs. "Do as you wish, you'll be the tired one's in the morning. Just please, do not wake up my patients."

"Wouldn't dream of it," mutters Remus. He runs off to find Peter as Margaret does to find Alice and Marlene.

Sirius stands awkwardly in the middle of the room then decides to see Lily first.

"You were great, Lily-bean," he whispers. "You never gave up and y-you never lost faith. You're in good hands now so just hang in there and get better." He lays down on a bed, waiting for the Potion that Madam Pomfrey is bustling around making.

What a day trip.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The portrait hole opens and Margaret comes running in. Sitting next to the fire is now Marlene, Frank, and Alice.

"Guys, come on! Lily and Sirius are okay and they're in the –" she begins.

Before she can finish, however, Marlene races past her and down the corridor. Margaret watches her retreating figure in confusion.

"What's up with her?" wonders Margaret aloud. Frank shrugs and helps Alice up.

"I guess she's been more nervous then she's been letting on," he says simply. "Come on, we'd better get to them before Madam Pomfrey kicks us out."

Margaret shakes her head. "I told her we wouldn't be leaving any of their sides through the night. She gave in."

"Good," says Alice cheerfully. "Let's go!"

The three walk into the Hospital Wing to see Marlene sitting by Lily's bed. Her eyes are red but little did they know the real reason they are and that she has not been sitting next to Lily the whole time.

**-Beforehand-**

Marlene races down the corridor. She cannot wait to get to the Hospital Wing to see if Lily and Sirius are okay. She has already seen James so when she runs into the infirmary she passes his bed without a second thought. She hesitates before passing Lily's and goes right up to Sirius' bed.

"Can I come in?" she says from behind the closed curtains.

"Sure," replies Sirius cheerfully. When she pushes back the curtains it is like he has been expecting her.

"So, what really did happen when you jumped down to join…Lily," says Marlene carefully. The last way she wants to come across is jealous. She does not need to inflate Sirius' ego anymore than it already is.

Sirius shrugs. "I just jumped in and we mainly talked. I guess it helped get her mind off the fact that literally in a few minutes we'd be drowning. Erm – we talked about our family and…I think that's about it."

"Oh," says Marlene simply, standing awkwardly in the doorway. "Why did you jump in there anyway?"

Sirius looks at her strangely. "Are you suggesting I should have let my friend _and_ your friend drown? Because if I hadn't put her on my shoulders she would have. She couldn't even tread water due to her broken ankle."

"I'm just wondering."

Sirius sighs. "I don't let my friends deal with trouble alone. That includes drowning too, you know."

She gives him a look and traces her shoe on the tile floor.

"So that means you'd do the same for me?" she blurts out. She did not mean to ask it but it just came out before she could stop it.

Sirius is taken aback so she hastily adds, "I'm just wondering."

He hesitates then nods. "Yeah, I guess so."

"You guess so? So you might _not_ have jumped down there if it was me and let _me_ drown?"

"I didn't say those words."

"They were implied."

"By who? _You_?" he sneers. "Look. I don't know what I would have done seeing as it wasn't you who stepped on the weak floor board."

"It could have happened."

"But it didn't."

"So you _are_ saying you wouldn't do anything if it was me. Great. Looks like I'd better be watching my step from now on."

Sirius throws up his hands in frustration.

"There's no pleasing you, is there?" he cries incredulously. "You've always got to have whatever you want and imagine up ridiculous scenarios that aren't going to happen!"

"It _could_ happen!" exclaims Marlene.

"But it didn't and it – hang on a second." His eyes sparkle with a look of mischief that Marlene does not like. Her belief that she will not like it is confirmed with his next words. "You like me." He does not ask it as a question but a says it as a statement.

Marlene flushes scarlet. "That's ridiculous! Why would I like a _man-whore_ like you?"

Sirius' expression changes from amused to angry.

"Well good because I don't like _clingy bitches_ either," he retorts.

Marlene knows she had it coming to her when she called him a man-whore but his words still sting her. Holding back her tears, she attempts in giving him a contemptuous glare and strides off to visit Lily's bed. Then, and only then, does she let the tears fall.

At least people will not know the real reason she is crying.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sirius is an eejit and he knows it. He knows he should not have said that to Marlene but she got him so angry. He used to not know why she irritates him so much but things are becoming a little clearer for him. Each day it is becoming more obvious that she has feelings for him.

Now he just has to get his own feelings straight…

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

**-Meanwhile-**

"Are you okay, Marlene?" whispers Alice. Her and Margaret walk over to where she is sitting as Frank goes to visit James and then Sirius.

"What happened?" asks Margaret concerned.

Marlene cannot tell them what had really happened. That will lead to uncomfortable questions and she will not go there. She has made a promise to herself and Sirius…Hell, there is no her and Sirius. He has just proven that by calling her a clingy bitch for Merlin's sake! She just shakes her head.

"I just can't believe that this all happened!" moans Marlene. She can be a fair liar when her life "depends" on it. "It's always Lily! Why can't it be one of us for once?"

"I know what you mean," nods Alice sadly. "Between her parents, Snape, James, and now –"

"Wait, what about James?" asks Margaret sharply. Lily has never mentioned anything about James before. Marlene sits up a little straighter too.

"Sh-She didn't tell you guys?" falters Alice. "Oh boy."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily's mind is blissfully blank. Madam Pomfrey has given her a Dreamless Sleep Potion to keep her mind at ease. It must be wearing off though because Lily can hear voices. She becomes aware then that she is not in her dormitory but in a room all white. The bright white stings her eyes and they begin to water as she tries to open them. She must be in the Hospital Wing.

"What happened?" she murmurs. She briefly sees several figures jump and rush over to her side.

"Lily," whispers Margaret. "You're awake! Thank Merlin, you sure are a deep sleeper!"

"Madam Pomfrey probably gave me a Potion," shrugs Lily. "Anyway, where's Sirius? James? Everyone?"

Margaret grins. "Oh yes, we've heard about you and James."

"What are you talking about? There is no 'me and James'!"

"Alice told us you like –"

"Hush! He could wake up at any second! He could be awake now!"

"I'm afraid not," says Madam Pomfrey solemnly.

"What do you mean?" asks Marlene.

Madam Pomfrey sighs. "I don't anticipate Mr. Potter waking up for several more days. As of now, he is in a fairly deep but bound to be brief, coma."

After hearing those words, Lily promptly faints, entering the world of darkness once more.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	15. The Aftermath

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 15 – The Aftermath

_Madam Pomfrey sighs. "I don't anticipate Mr. Potter waking up for several more days. As of now, he is in a fairly deep but bound to be brief, coma."_

_After hearing those words, Lily promptly faints, entering the world of darkness once more._

"Is she going to be okay?" whispers an urgent voice.

"Yes, she's just in shock," says another unrecognizable voice. "The Potion should be wearing off soon and she'll re-awake."

"I can't believe this is happening," whispers a third voice. "Does Sirius know?"

There is no answer but the interrogator gets their answer another way.

"Oh Merlin, he's going to be furious when he finds out it was Bellatrix who put James in a coma," sighs the first voice.

_Bellatrix…James…coma?_ It all connects somewhere in Lily's brain and her eyes snap open. She is greeted with a splitting headache that feels like her head is about to split open.

"Lily! You're awake again!" cries Alice, thoroughly relieved. Madam Pomfrey hushes her and she falls silent. Lily looks around as Madam Pomfrey bustles off to her office.

"Did I faint?" she asks faintly (**A/N: =P**).

Marlene nods. "Do you remember what happened?"

Lily looks at the opposite wall, deep in thought for a couple of minutes. After several minutes she turns back and looks at Margaret.

"So it's true? James is in a – he's in a c-coma?" she falters. Margaret nods sadly and Lily moans, putting her face in the palm of her hands.

"It shouldn't last long," adds Margaret. "Madam Pomfrey said he will probably only be unconscious for a few days."

"But – can't Madam Pomfrey cure him? It's not like when Muggles have comas and they have to perform surgery! Why can't she just…fix him?" she asks lamely.

"Apparently Bellatrix used another spell none of us are aware of," sighs Alice. "Madam Pomfrey has tried everything. James is going to be removed tomorrow to St. Mungos."

Lily sits up so quickly she feels dizzy.

"I have to see him," she says determinedly but Margaret and Marlene hold her down.

"You're in no fit state to get out of bed," points out Alice. "You know James would never forgive himself if something happened to –"

"ME! Yes, I know! Sirius said the same thing!" snaps Lily. "Frankly, I doubt any of you know what you're talking about. He hasn't been asking me out as much as normal, he's probably given up on me." At these words she sinks into her pillow miserably. Her friends exchange concerned looks and sit on the edge of her bed.

"You know that's not true, Lily," says Margaret soothingly. "Merlin, can't you see how much James cares about you? How much he always wants to protect you?"

"I can protect myself," says Lily, suddenly defensive.

"We know that and you know that," says Marlene, "but no matter how much James knows it, he'll still try and protect you. He would _die_ protecting you."

"He'd better not die because of me," growls Lily. "The last thing I need is his death on my conscience."

"What about all those times when you said you wanted to kill James Potter?" inquires Alice. "Were you lying?"

Lily shakes her head. "No, but I couldn't find a way to do it without ripping my soul and being sent to Azkaban to rot."

"Ah, I see how it is."

"So, who's going to break it to Sirius?" asks Lily nervously.

They all exchange a look and Marlene sighs. She stands up determinedly.

"I'll do it. I need to talk to him anyway," she lies. The others nod and watch her retreating figure disappear on the other side of the curtain.

"Get ready for an explosion in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…" counts down Margaret.

"WHAT?" yells Sirius. The three girls wince and pray for Marlene's sake that Sirius has not exploded.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Marlene pushes open his curtain again and walks in without any hesitation. She looks a lot more confident than she feels.

"We've got some bad news," she says without preamble. Better get it out of the way as soon as possible.

"What is it?" asks Sirius with ambiguity. "Are you finally going to admit that you –"

"Shut up and let me speak," Marlene says with a scowl on her face. She takes a deep breath. "The force of Bellatrix's spell has put James in a brief coma." She says this all in one breath.

"WHAT?" yells Sirius.

Marlene nods at a silently fuming Sirius. He gets up from the bed and kicks the nightstand, ignoring the searing pain in his big toe.

"What's happening now?" he growls. Marlene has never noticed how tall he really is compared to her but she still stands tall like the Gryffindor she is.

"He's going to be transported to St. Mungos tomorrow," she replies. "Right now he's still in the bed. I think his family is coming tonight."

Without another word, Sirius storms out from behind the closed curtains and walks to James' bed. Marlene sighs and walks back to where her friends are.

"Ouch," winces Lily. "I knew that he wouldn't take it well."

"Not at all," whispers Marlene, sitting back down. "Not at all."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

He rips open the curtains and sees James with his eyes closed peacefully and Remus, Peter, and Frank sitting around him. Frank is their fellow roommate so it was only natural that he has become good friends with James since their first year.

"I can't believe this," growls Sirius, pacing back and forth. "For all it's worth, I hope Bellatrix rots in hell. No, hell would be a dispensation for what she did. Damn it, there's not a good enough punishment for filth like her!"

"She'll get what she deserves eventually, Padfoot," says Remus solemnly. "They all will."

"And that son-of-a-bitch, Snape!" roars Sirius, ignoring Remus. "How dare he try to gain Lily-bean's trust repeatedly and then go do something like this! For Merlin's sake, Lily loves James!"

"SIRIUS!" shrieks a female voice from the other side of the curtain.

Sirius gasps. "Holy shit."

"You're damn right 'holy shit'! You promised you wouldn't tell anyone!" cries Lily, appearing on their side. "And now that you have there's going to be hell to pay!"

"_What_ is going on out here?" cries an enraged Madam Pomfrey. "_What_ are you two doing out of bed and _what_ are you all doing allowing them out? You can wake the patient!"

"He's in a bloody coma! How can we?" screams Lily hysterically.

"Miss Evans!" cries Madam Pomfrey shocked. "Calm yourself, you're a Prefect!"

"Look, I'm sorry but I'm feeling better now," says Lily, trying to calm herself down. Everyone gives her a look. "Look, my ankle is better and I'm awake! I'm going back to my dormitory where I can sleep without seeing this traitors face!"

Ignoring everyone's shocked faces, Lily storms out of the Hospital Wing.

"Lily, wait!" calls Sirius, trying to run after her but Madam Pomfrey holds him back.

"Oh no, you don't," she says sternly. "Get back in bed, right now!"

"But –" Sirius argues.

"Would you like me to hex you so you will never be able to leave?" she warns.

Sirius smirks. "You'd never be able to deal with me and my nonstop talking."

"Who says you'll ever be able to talk again?" Sirius' eyes widen.

"Yes ma'am, whatever you say ma'am," he says hastily, jumping into his bed.

"That's what I thought you said," she says, pretending to blow the top of her wand. Everyone laughs except for Sirius and clear out.

What a day.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily storms into her dormitory and slams the door shut behind her. She cannot believe Sirius told the others that she _loves_ James. For one, she is not even positive if this is just a crush or something more. What if this is just fleeting?

She would be kidding herself if she thinks that though. She has been thinking about James more and more as time goes on. Her heart rate speeds up when he is around and she finds herself smiling and her heart swelling when she thinks of the memories that they share.

She throws herself on her bed and looks up at the canopy. Perhaps she is more mad at herself than Sirius. She trusted him and he let her down. She should have known never to trust a Marauder. The only honest and decent one was Remus. The others were deceitful and liked to play with girls' minds. James and Sirius at least.

Lily sighs. This is becoming one big mess. James _cannot_ be in a coma. What if it is not as brief as Madam Pomfrey says? What if it is but he comes out a different person. What if he blames her for what happens like he has every right to do?

All these questions swim through Lily's mind and sparks fly out of her wand. She cannot just sit here and mull over this. She has to do something to occupy herself.

Deciding to dive into her schoolwork, she gets up and takes out her Transfiguration textbook. She takes one look at it and tosses it back in her bag because it reminds her too much of James and how they sit next to each other in class. Instead, she takes out her Herbology textbook and begins working on an assignment that is not due for several weeks. As she works, she vaguely realizes that this is what she does best.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

By nightfall everyone knows what has happened to James and that Lily is ignoring Sirius. By morning his bedside table is full of sweets and get well cards and crazy rumors have begun to circulate on what happened. The sad thing is, they are actually true to the actual happening.

"I hear Bellatrix Lestrange was involved –"

"Lily almost drowned –"

"Sirius saved her –"

"But now she's not talking to him –"

"I heard a giant squid almost ate them –"

Well, most of the rumors are true anyway. The one that stuck for the longest, however, is the fact that Lily will no longer give Sirius the time of day.

"Lily-bean please," begs Sirius, following her on their way to Potions class.

She whips around, glaring at him.

"Don't. Call. Me. That," she snarls. "And leave me the hell alone!"

"But Lily –"

"Leave her be, mate," suggests Remus, coming up from behind him with Peter. "She just needs some time to let the steam out."

Sirius nods and the trio continue on their way to Potions class.

It is not the same without James there, leading the group. It is like a part of them each is temporarily missing and it evident to anyone. The fact that Sirius has made the granddaddy of all mistakes, resulting in Lily hating him deeply, upsets him. He appreciates Remus' comforting words but it is not the same as when him and James talk and Remus knows that.

They enter the classroom and take their usual seats except Sirius sits alone, staring solemnly at James' empty seat.

"What's the matter Black? Upset that you don't have your second mouth on you?" sneers Avery. His friend Mulciber sniggers next to him. Sirius' head whips up and he glares at him. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Severus watching the three of them intently from the opposite side of the room. He also sees to the left of his table, Remus' ear perk up (it helps being a werewolf at times) as he listens to what both Peter is saying and Avery.

"Sod off Avery," he snarls. "I bet you don't even know what happened. Tell me, how is it that someone as slimy as Snivellus can out-rank you in Voldemort's inner-circle. It's obviously not brains or looks."

Avery flushes angrily. "You'd better watch yourself, Black. You've already seen was the Dark Lord does to Mudbloods and certain Blood-Traitors. You don't want to be next, do you?"

"I don't give a damn as to what Voldemort has in store for me, don't you morons get that by now?" says Sirius incredulously. "Also, last time I checked Lily's winning 3-0 to your 'master'."

Mulciber smirks. "That's where you're wrong Black. The Dark Lord's last attempt was to hurt Potter so Evans would be upset! He succeeded so it's actually 2-1 the Mudblood."

"Shut up," hisses Avery, elbowing his friend. "The Dark Lord specifically told no one to speak of his plans!"

"How was I supposed to remember?" cries an outraged Mulciber.

"I'm still here you know," points out Sirius, rolling his eyes.

Avery smirks but looks a little unsettled.

"See you around, Blood-Traitor," he says, pulling Mulciber away before he could say anything else. The two of them join Severus on the other side of the room.

Sirius stares at their retreating figures in deep thought until he feels a hard tap on his left shoulder. Rubbing his shoulder, he turns around to see an irate Lily.

"Does this mean you're talking to me again?" he asks with a smirk playing on his lips.

She ignores him. "What are you doing picking a fight with those bloody Slytherins?"

Sirius looks at her incredulously. "_I'm_ picking a fight? Didn't you hear them? _They're_ the ones _threatening_ me!"

"You don't have to listen to them!"

Sirius snorts. "Talk to me when you decide where your loyalties lie." He is about to turn around but Lily grabs his shoulder and makes him face her again. He glares at her.

"What is that supposed to mean Black?" she snarls. Sirius' glare becomes colder and he narrows his eyes.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" he asks, laughing derisively. "It means that if you hadn't protected that son-of-a-bitch a month ago he'd be out of our lives and James wouldn't be in a coma!" The class is now all staring at them and Professor Slughorn _still_ has not arrived.

"How can you say that?" Lily whispers, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm just as upset about James being in a coma as you are!"

Some people lean closer to try and catch what she said. Others turn to their friends and ask, "What'd she say?"

"So is that why you've been avoiding the hospital wing all last night and all today before they sent James to St. Mungos? Is that why you've been ignoring all of the Marauders? Because you're sorry about what happened?"

"First of all, I haven't been going to the hospital wing because I've been working in class all day –"

"How convenient," sneers Sirius. "Why don't you do us all a favour and cut the bull. We all know the real reason you're not going there." The whole room is listening intently now. Lily's eyes widen in fear and her eyes begin filling with tears. Marlene, who has happened to be the next table over with Margaret, glares at Sirius.

"Sirius, stop it," says Remus urgently. "Stop it, now."

As if a gift from Merlin, himself, Professor Slughorn walks in, fifteen minutes late.

"I apologize for my tardiness class," he apologizes, placing his books on his desk. "Someone took it upon himself or herself to steal polyjuice –" He looks straight at Lily, his star pupil, with concern flashing through his eyes. "Miss Evans, are you all right?"

The entire class turns to look, not including Sirius who determinedly looks at his book (there is a first time for everything). Lily turns as red as her hair at the sudden attention.

She nods, her head down so no one can see her watery eyes.

"Yes professor, I am all right. I just have not been sleeping well of late and my eyes tend to water when I yawn." Sirius snorts and Remus glares at him.

Professor Slughorn nods. "Quite understandable due to all of the chaos going on in the past few days. As long as you're sure you're okay, class, let's begin –"

Lily is silently fuming for the rest of the double period. How could Sirius do this to her? She bloody well does care that James is in a coma! Does Sirius not realize how difficult it is to sit here and stare at the result for her being a target? It should have been her, not him!

She sighs and looks around to see what the rest of the class is doing. She has successfully brewed her Potion and already has handed it in to Professor Slughorn and cleaned up her workspace. Her eyes scan over to the other side of the room and she sees Severus staring at her, the only other person done. She automatically averts her gaze back down to her Potions textbook, her face burning.

_Why do boys have to be so aggravating?_ (**A/N: Ain't that the truth!**)

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The amount of tension in Transfiguration later that day is so thick that neither an axe nor the Avada Kedavra curse can cut through it. Lily is sitting alone now that James is at St. Mungos and Marlene is beyond livid with Sirius for the way he has treated her best friend.

"How could you do that to Lily?" she hisses in his ear as Professor McGonagall grades their homework. "Do you know how worked up she's been since she heard what happened?"

"Careful," says Sirius out of the corner of his mouth, "you might let slip that Lily Evans is not as strong as she wants people to think."

Marlene slams her books down. Professor McGonagall looks in her direction with narrowed eyes. Of late she seems to have regretted pairing the two of them together. Marlene apologizes then turns back to Sirius.

"What the bloody hell is your goddamn problem?" she growls. "You're acting like a sixteen girl who PMS' like no other! Lily never did anything to you and you have no idea how much she's been beating herself up about this!"

"Really?" says Sirius, feeling slightly guilty.

"Yes!" hisses Marlene vehemently. "She thinks it's her fault because Voldemort has targeted her and that James got mixed in the line of fire for no reason. She wishes it was her in the coma instead and won't listen to reason!"

"But that's ridiculous!" cries Sirius outraged.

"Mr. Black and Miss McKinnon!" barks Professor McGonagall. "One more outburst and you are going to be thrown out of my classroom!"

"Sorry Professor," they chorus. Marlene looks over at Lily and notices her shooting her a warning look. Sirius follows her line of eye and smiles weakly at Lily. She glares at him and begins taking notes again. Sirius sighs and turns back to Marlene.

"That's ridiculous," he repeats in a whisper. "She didn't ask for Voldemort to hunt her repeatedly. If it's anyone's fault it's Snape's fault."

"That's not all though," whispers Marlene upset. "This has been taking a major toll on Lily. She hasn't been sleeping or eating at all. She refuses to comes to meals if we force her to eat." Sirius gapes at her.

"I thought it looked like she is getting thinner," notes Sirius quietly. "It's just like after her mum died."

Lily looks over at them again, having heard the tail end of their conversation and glares at Marlene. She cannot believe that she would tell that to Sirius of all people.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

As Lily runs after Marlene later that day to tell her off, Sirius runs after her.

"Lily-bean –" he begins.

"_What_ did I say about you calling me that?"

Sirius shrugs. "I don't know, I probably wasn't listening. Lily-bean, I'm sorry –"

"No you're not," she retorts. "If you were sorry you wouldn't do stuff like this over and over." Sirius is reminded of when Marlene said this to him at the beginning of the year. "You Marauders are all the same, you can be trusted as far as you can be thrown!"

She turns on her heel sharply and continues back to the Gryffindor Tower leaving Sirius stung.

"You did deserve that," says Margaret, walking up next to him. "You nearly blew her secret."

"Evans has a secret?" sneers a voice from behind them.

Sirius and Margaret whip around and see Cassiopeia Malfoy smirking at them.

"What do you want Malfoy?" says Sirius wearily.

"To know why you and Evans are fighting," she explains. "Then again I think everyone in the school wants to know."

"I'm sure they do but that doesn't mean we're going to tell you," growls Margaret. "Just because they want to know it doesn't mean it's any of their business."

Cassiopeia turns to face Margaret.

"I'd watch your back if I were you, Smith. You never know what people could suck up on you." She smirks once more and flips her platinum blonde hair around at them and walks off in the opposite direction.

"What is she talking about?" asks Sirius confused.

Margaret shakes her head disconcerted.

"No idea."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Lily Evans?"

Lily looks up from her Astronomy homework that she is doing in the common room to see Michael, the fourth year and a girl she does not know (almost everyone else is still at dinner). He looks slightly never about approaching her but she smiles kindly.

"Yes?" she asks politely.

"I – I have a l-letter," he begins, stuttering. He sounds nearly as bad as Lily and Sirius had been in the ice-cold water. His friend rolls his eyes and interrupts him.

"We have a letter for you from Professor Dumbledore," she finishes. "My name is Nadine Roberts." Lily smiles warmly and takes the letter from her outstretched hand.

"Thank you, Michael, Nadine," she says. They nod and run off to join their friends again. She chuckles and opens the letter, scanning over it briefly. She reads it again when she is confused of its contents.

_Dear Miss Evans,_

_Please come to my office at 7:00 tonight. I am aware you are not at dinner. Please do not bring anyone._

_Professor Dumbledore_

_P.S. I like licorice wands_

She shrugs it off and packs up her bag, deposits it upstairs, and then runs back down and heads off to his office. She meets no one on the way, which she is grateful for and when she reaches the statue, she looks at the paper again.

"Licorice wands?"

The statue, to her surprise, moves aside and she walks up the stairs, reminding her as before of Muggle escalators. As she reaches the top, she knocks on the door with some trepidation.

"Come in," says Professor Dumbledore. She opens the door and walks into the huge office full of silver, smoking ornaments. There seem to be more in there than she remembers. She walks in and comes face-to-face with Professor Clemons. He scowls.

"Hello Miss Evans," says Professor Clemons coldly. He turns back to Professor Dumbledore before she can reply. "So this is the reason I'm being dismissed from this conversation, Albus?"

"Not at all, Professor," says Professor Dumbledore pleasantly. "Miss Evans merely has an appointment and I'm afraid our conversation is not getting us anywhere. Feel free to come back any other night though and we shall see if you can help me better see your perspective of things."

Professor Clemons nods and sweeps past Lily, sneering at her as he does so. His expression clearly states, "You've heard nothing and shall say nothing."

Lily glares at him and watches his retreating figure exit the office. She turns back to face Professor Dumbledore and just in time to see him smile at her.

"I take it that you're not a fan of Carlisle Clemons?" he asks. At first Lily thinks she is going to be reprimanded but she notices that the Headmaster is still smiling.

"Not particularly," she says honestly. "He favours Slytherin far too much." Professor Dumbledore nods. "If you don't mind my asking sir, what was he trying to persuade of you?"

"Carlisle Clemons is a very obstinate man and also a very prejudiced man," says Professor Dumbledore wearily. "I trust you know your parentage as well as Remus Lupin's condition is not always approved?"

Lily grits her teeth and nods. She clenches her fists and looks angrily at the ground. So _that_ is why he acts like that when he sees her? Because he has been trying to make a point about people like her, born from Muggles, and Remus, a werewolf? She looks again at Professor Dumbledore and sees him looking at her with a mixture of sadness and…_pity?_ She shakes her head to clear her angry thoughts.

"He wants Remus expelled, doesn't he?" Professor Dumbledore nods. "You're not going to actually listen to him, are you, Professor?"

Professor Dumbledore shakes his head.

"No, Miss Evans, I am not. I am a firm believer that one should be judged by their choices, rather than their unfortunate flaws."

Lily nods and continues to glare at the floor. To her, this is just another reason not to like Professor Clemons. Hopefully, if this year is like the ones prior, he will be gone by next year and they will have a nicer Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

"So, what is the reason you called me here, Professor?" she asks. She cringes, having heard the words come out harsher than intended. He, however, chuckles but then turns sombre.

"As you know, Mr. Potter has been transported to St. Mungos to enable him more care. Not that Madam Pomfrey was not capable enough but she did all she could do."

Lily nods, feeling choked up and does not trust herself to speak.

"I have called you here to ask if you would care to accompany me in seeing Mr. Potter tonight," says Professor Dumbledore, looking at her shrewdly.

Lily is taken aback. She had not expected to be invited to accompany the Headmaster to see James. She then realizes that he is still expecting an answer from her and obliges.

"Thank you, sir," she says. "I will gladly accompany you to St. Mungos."

Professor Dumbledore smiles and claps his hands together.

"Excellent! We shall be on our way then before the visiting hours are over. We will be traveling by Floo Powder naturally. I trust you have before?"

Lily nods and walks over to the fireplace with the aging Professor. If one had been watching from a bird's eye view, it would have been an odd sight seeing a petite, redheaded Witch and a tall, silver-haired Wizard standing in front of a fireplace.

"Some powder," offers Professor Dumbledore. Lily smiles and takes a handful. She steps into the fireplace, not needing to duck, and yells:

"St. Mungos Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries."

Green flames erupt around her and she is spinning faster than she has ever spun in her life.

**-Meanwhile-**

"I wonder where Lily is," says Alice concerned. "She didn't come to dinner again."

"I'm really worried about her," says Remus, who is sitting between Dorcas and Margaret. "What if she went and did something stupid?"

"Awww. That's my Remy always caring for others," coos Dorcas, kissing him on the cheek. Margaret looks into the fire and Remus looks mildly uncomfortable and seems to now be thinking twice of the seating arrangements.

"_Anyway_," says Sirius. "Perhaps she just went for a walk somewhere. Speaking of which, Moony and Wormtail, I need to talk to the two of you in private. 'Scuse us, ladies."

He gets up and practically drags the other two Marauders away from the group. The three of them have not spent much time together as of late. It is just not the same without James.

"What's up Padfoot?" asks Peter, thoroughly confused. That is not unusual though.

"Well, these past few nights I've been working on the map and putting the finishing touches on it," begins Sirius. Remus and Peter's eyes widen in surprise. "All that's left now is to actually put a 'lock' per se, on it. Any ideas?"

"It should be a phrase," says Remus. "Something that only a true troublemaker can think of."

"How about…'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good?'" suggests Peter timidly, as if afraid his idea will be rejected.

There is a moment of silence and then…

"Wormy, that's brilliant!" cries Sirius, clapping Peter on the back. The whole common room turns to see where the commotion is coming from.

"Oh, it's nothing. Pete's just finally learned how to count to a thousand," says Sirius smoothly. Everyone claps and Peter turns tomato red in his embarrassment. Sirius grins and turns back to the two of them.

"Moony, can you put the code on it? That kind of stuff is your forte more than it is ours." Remus nods.

"I'll go do it now. Is the map under your bed as usual?" he asks wryly.

"How'd you know?" says Sirius sarcastically. "Yeah, it's right next to my trunk."

**-Also meanwhile-**

Lily steps out of the fireplace and wipes the soot off of her robes and out of her hair. After her comes Professor Dumbledore, landing slightly more gracefully. He strides past her, motioning her to follow him, and walks up to the receptionist who looks like she would rather be anywhere else but here.

"Yes?" she asks, popping her gum. She looks hardly older than Lily. "How can I help you?"

"Do you know which room a Mr. James Potter is in?" asks Professor Dumbledore. He seems unabashed when the Witch glares at him for making her check the book.

_Honestly,_ thinks Lily, rolling her eyes. _Some people have absolutely no motivation._

"Ah, yes. He's on the fourth floor for spell damage," says the Witch in a bored voice.

"Thank you very much," says Professor Dumbledore politely. He gestures for Lily to follow him again and they get into the lift.

Lily finds the Ministry of Magic absolutely fascinating. Between the owls flying around with letters and the many cubicles…Everything about it just screams work and she loves it.

"Ah, I see you've noticed the owls," says Professor Dumbledore, following her gaze to a tawny one. "They have been attempting to find a new method of communication. As you can see the results of owls flying around all day is a catastrophe. I'd watch where you step."

Lily looks down and scrunches her nose, vowing to look where she is walking as Professor Dumbledore has instructed.

"Level four, spell damage," says a cool, woman's voice.

"That's us," says Professor Dumbledore cheerfully. For all it is worth, he might as well be going to a Quidditch game.

Lily smiles weakly and they walk out of the elevator.

"Are you all right, Lily?" asks Professor Dumbledore concerned. "You seem tired. Am I right in assuming that what happened to Mr. Potter is the reason you have not been to meals lately?"

Lily debates on whether to tell the truth or not but realizing the Professor would know anyway, opts to nodding. He sighs.

"I suggest you listen to your friends and join them for meals from tomorrow on. I know for a fact that Mr. Potter would not want you to starve yourself on his accord. Oh, here we are."

Before Lily can argue, he opens the door for her and motions her to go in first. It is a single room with plenty of starlight from outside. No one else is there but the cards and sweets from admirers and family members, but mostly from girls at the school, have been moved with him and are on the table. Lily's heart pangs momentarily with what she makes out to be jealousy.

"Would you like to be alone for a moment?" asks Professor Dumbledore quietly. Lily nods and he steps out. She does not understand why he whispered. It is not like James can wake up from them.

"Hi James," she says quietly. She is standing awkwardly in the middle of the room then decides to sit in the chair next to his bed. "It's me…Lily and I'd just like to say I'm so sorry," she chokes up. "It's all my fault that you're in this damn coma."

She sighs and looks at his peaceful figure breathing in and out gently.

"I know you wouldn't be happy if you knew what I've been doing right now. Not eating and all or sleeping, but I can't help it. It's not that I can't but…I don't want to," admitted Lily. "When I do fall asleep, it's the day of the accident. I keep reliving the sickening thud you made when you smacked up against the wall…The blood oozing out of your head."

She shudders at the memory of it. She had practically thrown herself out of the way when Bellatrix had shot that curse and now the result lies in front of her.

"Anyway…well I didn't expect to come here tonight. Look at me, I'm talking to you as if you can hear me! It's like when I was talking to the Stag – I mean you. Ridiculous right? You'd be laughing at me right now!"

She sighs and runs her fingers through her hair.

"I know this may seem like the cowardly thing to do but I figured I might as well tell you now and save a lot of time and hassle. James…I like you, I really do. And I don't know but…I think Sirius is right. I think I might even be beginning to – to love you."

"The fact that I have butterflies in my stomach when I'm near you but now I also feel them when I'm away from you. The way you 'happen' to appear whether in my thoughts or physically wherever I am…I'm sorry I've caused you so much pain."

She wipes her eyes and then starts.

James' eyes are open.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	16. Returns, Catfights, and Shockingly Speec

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 16 – Returns, Catfights, and Shockingly Speechless

_James' eyes are open._

Lily gasps. She cannot believe James' eyes are open.

She panics. What if he heard what she said about her feelings? What will he say? Could he even hear her?

"James?" she whispers tentatively. He just stares at her, his face void of all expression. "James, can you hear me?" she asks loudly. He just continues to stare at her.

"I'm going to go get a healer," she says, beginning to get up.

She is about to turn around when he grabs her wrist.

"Don't worry, I'm going to get a healer," she says slowly as if she is talking to a five-year-old. He shakes his head slowly.

"Wait, where am I?" he croaks. "Why am I in St. Mungos?"

Lily pauses. "I'm going to go get your healer."

"Wait," he repeats. "What's wrong with my head?" He feels his head, which is currently bandaged up.

"It – It was an accident," says Lily, still in shock. "Wait, do you know who you are?" James looks at her incredulously.

"What sort of question is that?" he asks. "Of course I do – wait, where's everyone else? Where are my parents and the rest of my family? Where are the other Marauders?"

"It's just me. The others are either at home or at school," replies Lily. "It's late at night. Just relax until the healer gets here, please."

"Lily. What happened to me?"

**-Meanwhile-**

Everyone has gone up to bed and the only two left are Sirius and Marlene who have to finish their tedious History of Magic essay, being the only people who have procrastinated until the last minute.

"_Where_ is Lily?" Sirius inquires.

"I don't know," says Marlene, fidgeting with her fingers. "She wasn't by the lake, in the dorm, in the Great Hall, in the kitchens, or the Astronomy Tower."

"Well…perhaps she just had to go talk to a teacher," says Sirius feebly. "She does love her school work…yeah, that's it. She's probably gone to Professor McGonagall and is complaining that she got an 'E' instead of an 'O.'"

Marlene glares at him. "Just because you don't care about your work doesn't mean other people can't."

Sirius looks at her surprised, almost as if he has never seen her before. Just when he thought that they were getting to a somewhat better place…

"Who said I don't care about my grades? Just because I don't study my arse off all day and night doesn't mean I don't care," he says hotly.

Marlene snorts. "Does that explain your 'T' in Potions last week?"

Sirius glares at her. "What's your problem? Why every time we're having a normal conversation do you have to go and get all sarcastic and well…_mean?"_

"Why are you always so un_sirius_ all the time?"

"Hey! You can't use that, it's mine!"

"Do you have a paten on it?" asks Marlene.

"Erm…no?"

"Well than it's not yours," smirks Marlene. "That's not the point though. You never take anything seriously. The only time I've seen you take anything is serious is when you burned your book."

Sirius grimaces. That is not a very fond memory for him and the fact that it is the only time Marlene thinks he was serious is upsetting.

"Well, believe what you want but I am serious when I want to be. Come tell me when Lily comes back," he says, standing up. He hesitates for a moment and then pecks her on the cheek before running upstairs. Marlene stares after him in shock.

_CLICK!_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"James, don't worry you're going to be okay," promises Lily.

"Professor Dumbledore is outside and –"

"How long have I been out?" he croaks. "What happened?"

Lily sighs. "You've been in a coma for several days, which is highly unusual. It could have been far worse but you got lucky."

James' eyes are fluttering open and closed and Lily's heart does a back flip. She needs to get Professor Dumbledore to get someone. What if he slips back into a coma because of her _again?_

"Professor," calls Lily. Professor Dumbledore walks in and when his eyes fall on James the sparkle is reborn.

"Excellent! I assume you would like me to get a healer?"

Lily nods. "Yes, sir. He doesn't want me to leave."

Professor Dumbledore smiles knowingly. "Of course he does not."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

_Potter being in a coma is the best thing that could have happened_ thinks Severus. The fact that he is in a coma was not the Dark Lord's intentions but he is pleased all the while. Hopefully it will be permanent and it will get him out of the way.

Severus is concerned about Lily, however. She seems thinner and paler with each passing day and he knows it is about the current situation of where Potter stands. He cannot understand why she cares so much. For Merlin's sake, she had spent the first five and a half years loathing the bloke! Now she is suddenly feeling compassion for him? She has known him far longer than Potter and he deserves to be hers, not that he is worthy but she is far better off with him than Potter for a boyfriend or husband.

"What's up, Snape?" asks Amycus.

"Nothing," says Severus hastily. He looks up and notices Rodolphus Lestrange staring at him intently. He builds up his barriers so that he cannot tell what he has been thinking about. "How long have I been zoned out for?"

"About fifteen minutes." Snape inwardly curses himself. He curses his ability to zone in and out at any given time. Lily used to laugh at that.

Lily…

"You're not still thinking about that Mudblood Evans, are –?" begins Rodolphus.

"Don't call her that," Severus snaps at him. "No, as a matter of fact I wasn't thinking about that," he lies through his teeth. "If you suggest it again, however, I'll curse you into oblivion."

Giving Rodolphus a dirty look, he storms upstairs to his dormitory. Hopefully there he will be able to clear his head.

Now _that_ is wishful thinking.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The healer rushes into the room with Professor Dumbledore following him. He examines James, in Lily's opinion, more like a doctor in the Muggle world would. He examines his eyes to see if his pupils are dilated or not and asks him a few simple questions.

"Do you know who you are?" asks the healer.

James gives an irritated grunt. "I'm James Charlus Potter and before you ask, yes I'm aware that I'm in St. Mungos, yes I know there was an accident, but no, I have no idea what happened." He closes his eyes and tries to remember what happened. The last thing he can remember is walking off to Hogsmeade a few days ago.

The healer nods sympathetically.

"Alright, I'll be back in a little while to check up on you again," he says. "Meanwhile, you should relax and try and get some rest." He walks out and Professor Dumbledore follows him again, presumably to ask when James will be released.

"So, what _actually_ happened and why is everyone skirting around the topic?" asks James, shifting irritably. Lily also shifts uncomfortably.

"The healer said to relax, so you probably should –" she begins.

"WHY. CAN'T. YOU. JUST. TELL ME?" shouts James. Lily's eyes widen but she does not back up in fear like other people would have when seeing James' temper.

"I'm fairly certain that's not categorized as relaxing," Lily says dryly. James glares at her then sighs.

"I'm sorry, alright? It's just pissing me off at the fact that I can't remember anything. Wait, a second," he says suddenly.

"What is it?" asks Lily excitedly. Maybe James is remembering something!

"I remember…someone sitting over me and they were crying," he says thoughtfully. Lily blanches. "They said something about butterflies…I can't remember anything else, perhaps I was just dreaming," he shrugs.

Lily is frantic and her mind is turning in fifteen different directions. James cannot have heard, could he? No, of course not! He had been in a coma for Merlin's sake! There have been theories, however, of people being able to hear people talking to them in comas. Damn, why had she not thought of that _before_ she said she might love him?

"Lily, are you okay?" asks James. "You're the visitor and you look more sick than me."

Lily looks up and feels the familiar butterflies as she looks into his concerned hazel eyes.

"I'm fine. Just disappointed that you couldn't remember anything else."

Lily barely says anything else after that before Professor Dumbledore sweeps in to gather her. James seems regretful of losing his temper with her and says goodbye to the pair of them rather sorrowfully. After they are gone he looks at his nightstand and sees it is piled of tokens from his plenty of admirers. He sighs. None of them can compare to the fact that Lily came to see him. It is all the same: Chocolates, cards, etc. None of them actually physically came to see him. Not even his best friends or his family were here when he woke up. James is glad that Lily was there though. At least he woke up to the woman he loves and not some porcelain, fake girl.

He sighs again and tries to roll over to sleep but feels his head throb. Grumbling, he crosses his arms and falls into an uneasy sleep, trying to remember something about the dream he had had and why Lily had seemed so frantic about it.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Lily! Where have you been?" cries Marlene, jumping up from her seat as the portrait hole opens. "Sirius! Remus! Dorcas! Peter! Margaret! Alice! Lily's back! Get your lazy arse's down here!"

There are several doors closing and the sound of heavy/light footsteps running down the stairs and before Lily realizes what is happening, she is being engulfed in hugs.

"Lily, we've been so worried!" scolds Margaret. "You shouldn't run off without telling your friends!"

"I – was – instructed – not – to tell – anyone!" gasps Lily. They all back up to let the redhead breathe.

"All of us have been so worried you had thrown yourself off the Astronomy Tower!" cries Dorcas. They all look at her. "Remus' words, not mine," she defends.

"Sirius' words not mine," adds Remus hastily.

Lily opens her mouth to say something but Margaret cuts across her.

"So, you and Remus seem to be spending a lot of time together, huh?" she comments, looking steadily at Dorcas. Dorcas smirks.

"Jealous?"

Margaret shrugs. "Not really. I just hope you know that Remus doesn't stay with any girl for too long."

"Why's that?" asks Dorcas confused. Sirius' eyes widen.

"Does she know?" he mouths to Remus. Remus nods.

"Bellatrix threw it out there, remember?" he mutters to him. Sirius growls. "I think Dorcas forgot about it though."

Margaret shrugs again. "Well, _I_ know but why don't you ask your _boyfriend?_ Then again, clearly you're not that special to him if he hasn't told you already."

Remus looks alarmed and everyone gasps except for Dorcas who at first gapes at Margaret and then narrows her eyes.

"Take it back," she growls, her voice dangerously low.

"Take what back?" asks Margaret innocently.

It takes only a split second to make her decision. Dorcas pounces on Margaret and the two do the very thing Sirius loves.

Have a catfight.

"Guys, stop!" cry the other three girls. The guys are watching wide-eyed at the unfolding scene.

"Moony, you are one damn lucky dude," murmurs Sirius. "I'd love to have two hot girls fighting over _me_." Peter nods and Remus just shakes his head and sighs.

"Are we going to do anything?" asks Peter after another five minutes of Lily, Marlene, and Alice trying to break them up. It is not working too well.

Sirius nods.

"I'll go get some popcorn –" he begins, and Remus gives him a look. "Alright, alright."

Remus goes up and pulls Dorcas off of Margaret and Sirius helps Margaret stand up.

"Are you guys okay?" asks Remus, looking at the pair of them. Margaret nods and walks up the girls' dormitory stairs and slams her door shut. Dorcas follows suit seeing as they share a dormitory.

"One of them probably should have gone the other way," snorts Sirius.

"I'm going to go up and make sure neither of them kill the other," sighs Lily. She hugs each of them until she reaches Sirius. He opens his arms hopefully. She smirks and punches him in the stomach. He winces.

"'Night," she says sweetly, running up the steps after the other two.

"Never cross a redhead," says Peter wisely.

"No shite Sherlock."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The next morning dawns awkward beyond belief. The fact that Dorcas shares a dormitory with the other four girls makes it hard to make pleasant conversation, especially when the other three are closer friends with Margaret.

"So that's it, is it?" snaps Dorcas as they are all getting dressed. "You're just going to take that bitch's side in this whole thing?"

Lily glares at her. "First off, she is _not_ a bitch and yes, yes we are."

"We've been friends with her a hell of a lot longer than we have with you," adds Marlene. Alice nods but does not say anything, being the pacifist that she is. Margaret has not said anything either since last night.

Dorcas glares at all four of them and sweeps briskly out of the room to walks down to the Great Hall with her friend Mary.

"That was uncomfortable," murmurs Margaret.

"Margaret, why is it that only recently you let us know about liking Remus?" whispers Alice.

"I was perfectly content with telling no one," replies Margaret. "Lily found out though the summer before this year when I went over her house for her sister's wedding."

"Ah yes. The magnificent wedding that I will one day be explaining to very expensive psychiatrist," jokes Lily with a touch of sadness. Even though none of her friends know what she is talking about they all laugh, knowing it is a Muggle expression, which lightens the mood considerably.

"So Lily, you never did tell us why you were missing in action last night," points out Margaret.

Lily looks at her puzzled for a moment then recognition dawns on her. She waits until they sit down at their table in the Great Hall to begin her tale. The Marauders listen in also.

"Oh yeah, I forgot with everything that went on last night. Well, Professor Dumbledore sent me a note that said to come to his office alone and him and I went to see James in St. Mungos."

"WHAT?" cry the other six. "Are you serious?"

"No, I am." They all slap Sirius and he whimpers. Lily grins and nods.

"Anyway, I was sitting there for a while talking to him, which is kind of pointless seeing as he couldn't hear me –" _At least I hope so._ " – and next thing I know his eyes are open and he's staring at me."

_"WHAT?"_ scream the others even louder than before.

"Gryffindors! Quiet!" barks Professor McGonagall from the head table. They all grin sheepishly as the rest of the hall laughs and turn back to Lily.

"So, you're telling us that James woke up?" asks Sirius in a would-be-calm voice. Lily nods. "Why couldn't we come too?"

Lily ignores him as usual and goes back to eating her breakfast, making sure there is a curtain of hair separating herself from Sirius. If all is true that James can hear people talking even if he was in a coma, he could have heard Sirius as well when he said she loved James. This is all getting so complicated. Why can she not just want nothing to do with James like before?

"You okay, Lily?" asks Remus concerned. Lily looks up surprised and then smiles and nods. Her smile becomes a grimace as Dorcas sits down next to Remus and smiles smugly at Margaret.

Dorcas then begins playing with Remus' hair.

"Why do you wear your hair like that? Your hair looks so sexy pushed back. Margaret, will you please tell him his hair looks sexy pushed back?"

Remus looks alarmed again and the entire group goes silent and watches Margaret uneasily. Her eyes change from light gray to stormy and she stares at Dorcas with immense dislike. Dorcas is clearly dangling Remus right in front of her face and she wishes she could tell Dorcas that what she was worried about herself [Margaret] and Remus doing the day they were alone actually happened.

Deciding not to give Dorcas the satisfaction she says, "Your hair looks sexy pushed back."

Remus stares at her in surprise and turns slightly pink. The others gape at Margaret.

"I'm going to go to class early to get a decent seat," Margaret says automatically, standing up. "I'll talk to _most_ of you guys later." Without a second glance, she walks stiffly out of the Great Hall.

"I wonder what's got her knickers in a bunch," smirks Dorcas knowingly. Remus sighs. He whispers something in her ear and she looks puzzled for a moment but then grins widely.

The pair of them walk out of the hall hand-in-hand, which is uncommon for Remus seeing as public displays of affection typically makes him uncomfortable.

"Well, that was uncomfortable," murmurs Alice.

"Where do you think they're going?" asks Lily.

"Not sure," says Sirius pensively. "But I can sure as hell tell you it's not going to end well."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Where are we going Remus?" asks Dorcas as they walk out the huge oak doors.

Remus shrugs. "Just around the lake. We have the first class as a free period so why not?"

Dorcas smiles and they fall into a comfortable silence.

"Hey Remus," she says suddenly. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," says Remus uncertainly. He hopes this question will not have anything to –

"Where do you go every month?"

That.

Remus sighs. "I'm sorry Dorcas, I can't tell you that."

Dorcas' expression hardens. "I knew you'd say that but why can _she_ know and not me?"

"Who's she?"

"Smith."

Remus tenses and he lets go of her hand. He stops walking and when she notices he is no longer next to her, she turns around and stares at him.

"I'm sorry Dorcas, I just…can't."

"Can't or won't?" she retorts.

"Both," says Remus with more edge to his voice. "Dorcas, this just isn't working out. I know we haven't been together long but I'm sorry it's me, not you. Well it's partly you but more me," he adds as an afterthought.

"So she was right, that whore was right," snarls Dorcas under her breath, and Remus' eyes flash.

"Don't call her that," he growls. "You're in no position to call her such a filthy name."

Dorcas' eyes widen. "Is _that_ why you're breaking up with me? That _witch_ seduced you, didn't she? DIDN'T SHE?"

Remus is shocked. "How could you say such a thing. Firstly, Margaret would _never_ do such a thing. Secondly, wouldn't you give me more credit than that or do you just think I'm a brainless twit?"

"I didn't mean that!" says Dorcas hastily.

"It was implied." The absolute coldness is evident in his voice and it stings Dorcas. She believes she is truly beginning to fall for him.

"So this is it? We're just going to walk away and forget everything we had?" she asks, her voice shaking.

"We didn't have that much Dorcas," says Remus sadly. "Besides classes and meals and occasionally in the common room, we honestly didn't see much of each other. It's not a healthy relationship and I'm sorry, yes we're breaking up."

Dorcas tries her hardest not to let the tears of hurt fall but her eyes betray her and she lets them fall. She just wishes he would reach out and wipe them away. He just stands there, however, and looks at her very uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry," he says sincerely. He begins walking up to the castle but Dorcas stays behind watching his retreating figure.

"Oh, you will be Remus John Lupin," she whispers. "One day you will be."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So Lily, we haven't seen much of Marc lately," comments Alice as they are doing their Transfiguration homework later that night. They had seen Remus and Dorcas earlier that day. If anything, Remus seems like fifty pounds have been taken off his shoulders but Dorcas looks a wreck. Truth be told though, Lily has not thought of Marc since the ball. She has not seen him either.

"Yeah, me neither. I think he had gone home for a while," says Lily. "I remember hearing something about his mother wanting to pull him out of Hogwarts because of the war."

"You heard right," says a deep voice and suddenly a pair of hands are covering her eyes. "Guess who?"

"Marc!" she squeals with a little too much excitement for someone supposedly interested in someone else. "I've missed you so much. Where have you been? Are you staying?"

He nods. "I convinced my mum to allow me to stay. She finally agreed that Hogwarts would be safer than anywhere else at this point, so here I am."

Lily grins but her friends can tell it was a bit forced.

"We'll let you guys catch up," says Alice, pulling the other two up with their bags.

"What? But I want to watch," whines Margaret. Marlene rolls her eyes and helps Alice pull Margaret up the stairs.

Lily laughs. "They're great. Can't live with them, can't live without them. It's been pretty dull here though without you though," she whispers into his ear. He grins.

"Is that so? Then how'd you feel about going to the next Hogsmeade trip with me?" he asks. "It's on Valentine's Day weekend. I'd understand if you don't want to go after what happened last time. It was all over the _Daily Prophet_."

Lily groans. "I know. You'd think they'd have better stuff to talk about like, I don't know, _Voldemort_ and how he's killing more and more people?"

"Yeah I know but that's what you get when the Ministry leans on the Prophet. You'd think it'd be a bit more honest seeing as it's Charlus Potter as the Minister but…"

"He doesn't want everyone worrying more than they have to," defends Lily. "I get that. No one wants terrified Witches and Wizards running into the Ministry every day complaining or asking for special treatment when random attacks are going on. The public has a right to know a certain amount though and what to look out for."

"No arguing with you there," agrees Marc. "You never answered me though? Will you go out with me on Valentines Day?"

Lily smiles, this time more sincere.

"There's no one else I'd rather go with."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Sooo, what happened?" asks Margaret as Lily comes up to the dormitory smiling. "I wouldn't have had to bother asking you, however, if Tweedlemean and Tweedlemeaner didn't pull me away."

"Wait, who's mean and who's meaner?" jokes Alice.

"Oh, Marlene is definitely meaner to help you," teases Margaret. Marlene grins and throws a pillow at Margaret. "Anyway, dish."

Lily grins just as Dorcas storms in. Apparently she has been waiting until they are all alone in their dormitory to go off at Margaret.

"YOU BITCH! YOU DERANGED BITCH, HOW COULD YOU?" shrieks Dorcas. She walks straight up to Margaret and slaps her full force across her left cheek.

The others gasp and Margaret staggers back, tears in her eyes but she still holds her ground.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she says coldly. "But I'm not an eejit so I could only assume you're talking about the fact that Remus and you have broken up."

"Wait, Remus is available?" says someone from behind Dorcas. They all turn to look and notice a queue by the doorway.

"Yes, he's available," says Margaret calmly. "The only reason for that though is because this lunatic was trying to cling onto him like a leech."

Dorcas glares at her, tears swimming in her own eyes.

"I was only clinging to him because I knew _this_ would happen and now there's going to be hell to pay!"

"Are you threatening me?"

"I don't know, am I? You can take it whatever way you choose but just know one thing." Dorcas lowers her voice. "You will never have Remus if I have anything to do with it."

Margaret stares at her warily, feeling saddened by the fact that a boy has gotten in between their friendship but also nervous on what she can plan. Her past is not exactly scotch free.

Dorcas smirks. Apparently her last sentiment has had the effect she has hoped for.

"See you around Smith," she sneers. She pushes her way through the queue and down to the common room again.

"Well, there's nothing more to see here," says Lily. Everyone turns to look at her and then afraid that her infamous temper might appear, leave hastily.

"I never thought I'd be glad to have a friend who's such a hothead that people are afraid of her," jokes Margaret, shaking a bit. Lily smiles sadly.

"Do you still want to know about what Marc and I talked about?" she asks tentatively.

Margaret nods. "Definitely. Perhaps it'll get my mind off of the fact that everyone saw that encounter."

"All right, everyone gather 'round," says Lily. "Time to soundproof the bed and break out the candy."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"That's so romantic, except there's one problem," says Margaret as soon as Lily has finished her story.

"What's that?" asks Lily, accepting a Bertie Botts Every Flavour Bean from Marlene. "Eurgh, chalk." She takes a swig of butterbeer to rinse the taste out of her mouth.

"How would you know what chalk tastes like?" asks Alice.

Lily cringes. "Kissing Remus after he had detention." They all laugh, Margaret hesitantly, and Lily turns back to Alice.

"So, what's the problem with me going out with Marc?"

"The fact that you like James. Oh, and I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" asks Lily warily.

"James and I never were really dating," says Margaret hesitantly. "H-He just wanted to you begin liking him because – because of what Marc told him."

"WHAT?" cries Lily. Thankfully the bed is soundproofed so no one can hear anything that they are saying.

"I'm sorry Lily, it's just that Marc told James –" begins Margaret.

"I don't want to here it," says Lily, abruptly putting down her chocolate frog card. "Marc is _not_ planning to dump me like you claim James said and I _cannot_ believe you would go behind me like that and fake date James to make me jealous."

"Well it worked, didn't it? Now you know that you do like him!"

"But what if we were never supposed to be like this? What if I could have found someone else whom I really liked and _he_ could have ended up with someone else?"

"You and James are perfect for each other, Lily!" says Margaret hotly. "You're the only one who can't see it because you're afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Afraid of possibly liking James and then finding our that he could have gotten over you!" cries Margaret. "You've been hexing, hating, and berating him for the past five and a half years! Who's to say he hasn't gotten over you?"

Lily's insides go all cold. It cannot be true. James had been so happy to see her when he woke up. He cannot be over her, not when she has just started liking him. Could he?

"Margaret, calm down," she hears Marlene saying. "You're just upset about what happened with Dorcas. You don't mean what you're saying."

"YES I DO!" cries Margaret hysterically. "JUST ASK JAMES! That's not all though. I got a letter from my mum this morning."

"Yeah?"

"You know how my brother was an Auror?"

"Was?" asks Alice tentatively. Lily does not like where this is going.

"Some of Voldemort's supporters killed him last night. They came to his flat in London and killed him! HE WAS SUPPOSED TO GET MARRIED TO HIS FIANCE IN JUNE!"

All three girls are speechless as Margaret succumbs into tears.

"He was my brother," she sobs. "My only brother. He was the one who taught me all those hexes that came in handy when you wanted to hex James! And now he's…h-he's gone!"

"Margaret, I –" begins Lily.

"No! You've said quite enough! Goodnight, Lily!" She rips open the curtains and goes over to her own bed, glaring at Lily once more before closing her curtains tightly.

Lily sighs and looks at the others. They are speechless too. Looks like they are all in the same boat.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A week passes and Margaret and Lily are still both upset with each other. Their two other friends have no idea what to do so Marlene spends most of her time with Margaret and Alice with Lily. James came back after a week of begging to be released and is immediately bombarded with fan girls. Lily cannot help the jealousy that bubbles up inside of her every time a girl asks him out but cannot also help but be giddy when he denies each of them.

The Marauders, having not caused mayhem for quite some time, decide to take it upon themselves to quadruple their efforts in pranking the entire student body. Unfortunately, the main victims happen to be the Slytherins whom most people hate.

It is now the end of January and one particularly sunny afternoon when Mssr. Padfoot takes it upon himself to disrupt the Potions class. His intentions are for the best but he seemingly does not think it through that Potions is Miss Evans most cherished subject besides Charms.

"How 'bout ol' Snivelly?" he whispers to James as he adds lacewings to his Potion. It hisses and turns a faint turquoise, far from the yellow that it should be. James shakes his head.

"No, Lily hates it when we do anything to harm or prank him in any way," he says automatically. He feels he is finally getting somewhere with Lily and he does not want to ruin that.

"Dude, you're not even dating her and you're whipped," says Sirius under his breath. "What happened to the Prongs that used to love harassing Snivellus?"

"He fell in love," mutters James, and Sirius can tell he is not exaggerating. "And if you are the best mate I know you are you'll understand that."

Sirius nods. "Fine. How about Avery then? He's a right git and Lily-bean hates him even if she doesn't show it."

James hesitates for a moment. "Okay, fair enough. What do you suggest we do?"

"I have some dragon fireworks from last Hogsmeade in my pocket," suggests Sirius. He pulls out a box labeled dangerous across the cover. James quirks an eyebrow.

"You've been keeping fireworks in your pocket?" he says, barely hiding his amusement. "Merlin, where would you be if I _hadn't_ come back?"

"Probably scattered around the school," smirks Sirius, and James shivers. "All you need to do is create a diversion and I'll sneak over there and put it into his cauldron." James nods.

"Professor! Professor! There's a rat by my cauldron!" shouts James. As he expects, most of the girls shriek and jump onto their stools, all except for Lily. She stares at him in such a scrutinizing manner, as if sizing him up, trying to formulate something in her head. James sees out of the corner of his eye, Sirius crawling across the floor to where the Slytherins are sitting. The room is so full of haze that no one can possibly see him.

Before anyone realizes he had left his seat, he is back next to James. James looks back to where Lily is sitting and realizes she had noticed his absence. Praying that she does not rat them out (**A/N: No pun intended**), he winks at her and turns back to face front.

"Calm down everyone!" shouts Professor Slughorn, trying to make his way over to where James and Sirius are now standing. "Mr. Potter, where is the –"

**BOOM!**

There is an explosion and from Avery's cauldron erupts slimy, green goo. It splatters all of the Slytherins, including Severus, from head-to-foot in slime. The gang of Slytherin girls, including Malfoy, are shrieking and the guys are yelling profanities at each other, trying to wipe the crap out of their eyes.

"Who is responsible for this?" roars Professor Slughorn. He rarely gets upset with the exception of when the Marauders prank in his classroom. He turns to Sirius. "It was you, wasn't it, Mr. Black?"

Sirius looks affronted. "Sir, I am surprised at you! I never expected a man of your stature to make such an unformed accusation without thorough evidence backing up your statement."

James has to hand it to Sirius; he certainly knows how to make a person's facial colour change with the snap of his fingers. Professor Slughorn's face goes from normal, to red, and purple, and then back to red.

"It was not unfounded, Mr. Black," he says with forced calmness. "The fact of the matter is that you and Mr. Potter are the only people who disrupt my class on a regular basis and the only people who hold strong grudges against the Slytherins."

Sirius shakes his head. "That's where you're wrong, sir. I know for a fact that there are multiple other people who have grudges against the Slytherins in this room. Just ask Peter, Remus, Lily, Alice, Marlene, or Margaret. I'm sure they'd tell you that they agree."

"Don't drag us down with you," says Lily sharply. Sirius glares at her and Professor Slughorn looks between the aforementioned.

"Detention for you and Mr. Potter this Saturday, Mr. Black," says Professor Slughorn wearily. There is an outburst of protests from the Gryffindors and the Slytherins look like Christmas has come early.

"But sir, this Saturday is the final Quidditch match and Gryffindor is against Slytherin!" cries James. The Slytherins smirk at the Gryffindor captain's misfortune. Professor Slughorn's eyes narrow.

"Looks like you should have thought of that before setting off an explosion in the midst of my class. That's my last sentiment on the matter Mr. Potter, next time you bring it up I will dock House points." James wisely keeps his mouth shut and can feel Lily's glare on him. The Gryffindors are subdued for the rest of the lesson and things do not get better after class.

"Nice going Potter," sneers Severus. "Looks like you've guaranteed us the House _and_ Quidditch Cup this year."

"Shut up, Snivellus," snarls Sirius. "I must say though, green slime does give you a better appearance. Then you have an excuse for being a _slimy_ git."

Severus glares at the pair of them and with a quick glance at the other two Marauders, strides off after his friends.

"Git," mutters Sirius.

"Yeah, you're two of a kind," says a female voice from behind him. The four turn around to see an annoyed Lily.

"What do you want now, Lily-bean?" asks Sirius wearily. "Come to kick me when I'm already down?"

Lily puts her hands on her hips and gives him a look.

"No, I've come to congratulate you. Not only did you single-handedly wreak havoc in class today but you also guaranteed Gryffindors defeat this coming Saturday. Not only will we lose the Quidditch Cup but also the House Cup. You brought this down on all of us!"

"Do you think I need to hear this from _you?"_ sneers Sirius. "I love how I'm the only one you're berating. This wasn't a one man job!"

"I'll bet you anything you're the one who wanted to pull a prank in the first place!"

"Guys, seriously what the hell is wrong with you two?" asks James, stepping in between them. "You've both been on edge with each other the whole time I've been back!"

"Oh, they've been on edge far longer than since you've been back," says Remus irritably, and Peter nods.

"Ever since the day of the accident when Sirius said in the Hospital Wing that Lily –" begins Peter.

"PETER!" shriek Lily and Alice. Peter closes his mouth hastily before he can say any more.

"That Lily what?" asks James curiously. "What happened in the Hospital Wing? Was I there?"

"It's not important," says Lily a little too quickly. "I've got to go, I don't want to be late to Transfiguration."

"We all have Transfiguration," James points out. "Plus we still have ten more minutes."

"Who are you, Father Time?" says Lily waspishly. "I want to get a good seat."

"We share a table." Lily curses and James looks at her blankly.

"Nice talking to you guys," she says, and walks off in the opposite direction, Alice trailing along after her.

"Are you guys going to tell me what she said?" asks James, turning to his friends.

Remus places his hands over his two friends' mouths.

"Nope. Good thing we don't have a third friend or else I'd be in trouble," says Remus casually. "EOW! Pete, what did I tell you about biting?"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

**Please? **Writes James.

_No._

**Pretty please?**

_NO._

**What if I said I'd snog you senseless? Then would you?**

A chill runs up Lily's spine as she fruitlessly tries to continue taking her Transfiguration notes. She tries to not show how much the offer affects her.

_Somehow I don't think that's an adequate reward._

**You didn't say you were against it.**

_I'm aware of that but I didn't say I was for it either._

**Touché.**

_Is there any chance you'll just let me take notes in peace?_

**Nope.**

Lily sighs. Passing notes has become the norm for them each Transfiguration class.

_Then what have I got to lose? You're the most incorrigible person I've ever met._

**Thank you, I take that with pride. Admit it, you've missed me.**

_I've missed someone being there to keep Sirius in check._

**What about Remus?**

_He's been busy…_

**Oh yeah, I heard about that. Poor Margaret.**

_Mhm…_

**You gonna tell me why you two aren't talking?**

_She's mad at me and I'm mad at her._

**Somehow I figured as much. Care to share about what?**

_You._

James looks up from his parchment at her in surprise. She will not meet his eyes though. He narrows his eyes and begins writing again.

**Let me guess, you've both admitted your undying love for me? However, you told her to go after Remus and now we're all in a love rectangle?**

_First of all, that's far from the truth. Secondly, it'd be more like I love 5-year-old scribble since I doubt Remus is falling for you._

… …

_Exactly. You're right about the love part though._

James heart rate speeds up. Does she –? Her next words make him inwardly sigh though.

_She decided to tell me your plan about how you and her fake dated in order for me to fall in love with you._

**Oh boy.**

_Oh boy is right. I can't believe you two would do that!_

**Did it work?**

Lily's quill freezes in mid-response. She can feel James' gaze on her and feels her cheeks get considerably warmer. Should she tell him that she is beginning to fall for him?

…_No, it didn't work. Don't you think I would have told you?_

**Not necessarily. You'd probably be thinking how could this happen after five and a half years of hating this bastard? You'd be trying to preserve your self-dignity and you'd probably be curious if I still liked you if you **_**did**_** like me.**

_How the hell can he know that?_ Wonders Lily. She looks back at her parchment as another message appears.

**If you did like me though and were wondering if I still liked you, however, the answer would be yes.**

Lily's heart feels like it drops down to her stomach and out of her backside. He still likes her? After all these years?

**I know what you're thinking. How could I like you after all these years of rejection? Why couldn't I have gotten over you and liked someone else instead? I honestly don't know because trust me, I've tried. I've already told you all the stuff I love about you.**

_I don't know how to respond to that, James. However, I will give you one thing. You have definitely grown on me this past year._

James beams as the bell rang and everyone packs up his or her things. He looks over at Lily and swears she has a smile threatening to overcome her face but is gone before he can get a closer look.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So Lily, what do you want for your birthday?" asks Alice at dinner that night. Lily groans and James suddenly perks up.

"Of course! I knew something important was coming up," he says excitedly, and Lily flushes. "Well of course she wants us to throw a party –"

"Don't you dare!" cries Lily, her face draining of colour. "I swear to Merlin if you throw me a party I will personally castrate you!"

James crosses his legs nervously and the others laugh.

"I'm not joking James, no party," she says seriously. "That goes for you six as well."

"Didn't hear a Marc in there," smirks Marc, sitting down next to her. She smiles and shoves him playfully.

"You don't get to either! I swear you guys act like it's some big deal!"

"Because it _is_ Lils!" says James indignantly. He clenches his fists under the table as Marc strokes Lily's hair. Marc is clearly trying to get a rise out of James but James will not give him the satisfaction. "You're turning seventeen for Merlin's sake!"

"So what?"

"You only turn seventeen once," Marlene points out. The others nod, save Margaret who looks in the opposite direction with a dazed look on her face.

"I don't care!" says Lily stubbornly. "No birthday party!"

Leaving that said and done, she gets up and walks out of the Great Hall to the common room hand-in-hand with Marc.

"So we're going to throw her a birthday party right?" asks James, averting his eyes from the couple.

"Absolutely," they all chorus.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Without the Gryffindor team's star Chaser/captain and star Beater, they were annihilated on Saturday's game. Slytherins win allowed them to pull ahead in the ranks but contrary to popular belief, Gryffindor still had a chance to come back and gain the House _and_ Quidditch Cup. That is, as long as their two best players do not land themselves in detention again.

For that reason, James and Sirius are not the most liked as of now. This is a rare occurrence because usually they are the _most_ liked. It was particularly painful for Remus and Margaret to commentate on Saturday's game – though not only because of Gryffindors loss.

As of late, Margaret is an emotional wreck. She has no idea where she stands with Remus now that he has broken up with Dorcas and they have shared a kiss and he is doing nothing to indicate what he considers them to be. Also, she has been getting constant letters from her mother about her brother's funeral and how the service is going to be done. Most of all, she hates not being on speaking terms with Lily.

"Lily, can I speak to you?" she asks on January twenty eighth, two days before Lily's birthday.

Lily looks up from her Charms essay with a dazed expression. She seems extra frazzled lately since she has begun studying for the upcoming NEWT's next year.

"Sure," she says after a moment. She moves over so that Margaret can sit down but Margaret shakes her head.

"Can we do it in the dormitory?" she asks nervously.

Lily looks at her for a moment than shrugs and follows her up the stairs.

"So, what's this about?" she asks. Her voice is not cold but hollow, like something has been eating at her. Margaret feels the exact same way. She takes a deep breath.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry," she begins. "I'm sorry about yelling at you that night just because my brother d-died. I didn't mean to take it out on you and I am in no way justified for doing so."

"I'd also like to apologize for double-crossing you behind your back with James. He's been so worried about this whole Marc thing and I know you don't believe it but he's planning something and I have a feeling it'll unfold soon. The only reason I agreed with it is because I hoped maybe it'd get me closer to Remus but from where we stand right now that was a load of bullshit to believe. I'm truly sorry Lily, I don't expect you to forgive me but –"

Lily holds up a hand and Margaret falls silent.

"I forgive you," says Lily quietly. "I'm sorry too for blowing up at you about the whole James thing and I'm truly sorry about your brother. If there's anything I can do –"

"Well, that's what I wanted to also ask you about," says Margaret uncomfortably. "You see…my brother's funeral is in a couple of weeks…"

"Oh Margaret, do you want me to come with you?" asks Lily sympathetically. Margaret nods and lets a tear escape and fall down her cheek. Lily embraces her tightly.

"I'll definitely come with you," she says soothingly. "When is it?"

"F-February 14th," she stammers. "The weekend of –"

"Valentine's Day," finishes Lily.

"I'm sorry Lily, but I just can't face it alone," sobs Margaret. "I know you have your date that weekend and it's okay if that's more important –"

"Are you kidding me, Margaret?" cries Lily, letting go of one of her best friends. "You're one of my best friends, for Merlin's sake! I'll just cancel on Marc. It's no big deal, really. You're much more important than any date!"

"But Lily, you haven't seen him in month's –" argues Margaret.

"And a few more days won't kill him," says Lily stubbornly. She grabs Margaret's shoulders. "Whether you like it or not, I'm coming with you Margaret so you'd better let your mum know or I will."

Margaret gives a shaky laugh and then hugs Lily again.

"You're a great friend Lily," she whispers.

"And don't you forget it," jokes Lily. Margaret laughs and they release each other. "Just promise me one thing."

"Sure, anything."

"Let's never fight about James again."

Margaret bursts out laughing and nods, barely able to breathe.

"I'm g-going to go wash my face, I'll be down in a minute," she gasps. Lily nods and heads back down the girls' dormitory stairs, feeling as if a tiny bit of her stress has been lifted off of her shoulders. Now to make up with Sirius…

"Hey Sirius, can I detach you for a moment?" she asks, walking over to where the Marauders are doing homework and playing Wizards Chess.

"Erm – sure," says Sirius as Remus' knight attacks his bishop. "Don't look so upset Moony, you were gonna win anyway."

Remus smirks. "Too true."

Sirius gets up and follows Lily to the deserted corner in the common room. As they go, James watches them out of the corner of his eye.

_-Flashback-_

_"I can't believe this," growled Sirius, pacing back and forth. "For all it's worth, I hope Bellatrix rots in hell. No, hell would be a dispensation for what she did. Damn it, there's not a good enough punishment for filth like her!"_

_"She'll get what she deserves eventually, Padfoot," said Remus solemnly. "They all will."_

_"And that son-of-a-bitch, Snape!" roared Sirius. "How dare he try to gain Lily-bean's trust repeatedly and then go do something like this! For Merlin's sake, Lily…"_

_-End Flashback-_

"Prongs, mate, are you alright?" Remus asks worriedly.

"What?"

"You zoned out there for a moment and didn't answer Wormy."

"Sorry mate," he apologizes to the confused, mousy Marauder. "I just – I just remembered something."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I hope you're not going to ask me to make out with you," Sirius smirks in his own attempt to lighten the mood. "I think Prongs has finally mastered shooting daggers with his eyes."

Lily rolls her eyes and decides to jump right to it.

"You're a pig. No, sorry to disappoint but I actually asked you over here so I could apologize to you."

"Oh? Why the sudden change of heart?"

Lily runs her fingers through her hair and bites her lip.

"Well, I've been thinking…we're approaching our final year here and the fact that we've all been fighting over such trivial matters when there's a real, fully fledged war out there seems silly. I know you didn't mean harm when you yelled…what you did that day in the Hospital Wing and I figured it's time I forgave you."

Sirius grins. "Well, apology accepted and I'm sorry too. I was way out of line and truth be told _I'm_ surprised I kept your secret for so long."

"That's a comforting thought," laughs Lily. "The other reason I forgave you though is because Margaret and I made up and it seemed like the right thing to do."

"So you're saying that if you two were still ignoring each other you'd have never apologized?" asks Sirius, pretending to be hurt.

"Probably."

"Well, I'm _wounded_," cries Sirius theatrically, throwing himself onto the floor. Lily laughs hysterically as the whole common room turns to look for the commotion.

"I thought they weren't talking –"

"I heard she had a secret –"

"About what –"

"Only few know –"

"Terrific! You've already got them spreading more rumours," groans Lily as Sirius gets up grinning.

"Too bad they're true," he whispers, and she smacks him playfully. She stands up straighter and looks around the common room. She begins to walk away.

"Where are you going?" he pouts.

She sighs. "Due to recent events that have taken place, there's someone else I need to talk to."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Hey Lily," greets Marc. "What's going on? You look exhausted."

Lily smiles wearily. "I am and what I'm about to tell you isn't going to help with either of our stress levels."

"What is it?" asks Marc concerned. Lily looks into his eyes. She does not understand what Margaret and James are talking about. They do not look like the eyes of someone who is planning to hurt her.

She sighs. "Marc, I'm so sorry but I have to cancel our date on Valentine's Day weekend."

Marc looks surprised. "Why?" he asks, hurt evident in his voice.

"Recent events have occurred and…well, a friend of mine has suffered a great loss and really needs me that weekend. I'm truly sorry, Marc."

He sighs too. "It's all right. I was just hoping we could spend some time catching up on all we missed. Maybe tomorrow night instead? We could have a picnic on the Astronomy Tower and just stare at the stars?"

Lily tries to hide her worry about going to the most common hookup place. Who knows what could happen under the influence of the night sky? Plus, she knows his record and it is against him. However, she knows her comfort level so she does not think it will be an issue.

"Definitely," agrees Lily firmly. She gets up and kisses him on the cheek. "I'll see you later."

He nods and watches her run back to where her friends are sitting.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The next night, Lily and Marc skip dinner and go to the Astronomy Tower for their picnic like they arranged. She has told her friends beforehand of her plans and they seem relieved that she is eating again. They are also thrilled that her and Marc are going on a date for the first time since they went to the ball together. Her date with him also seems to make Margaret feel slightly less guilty for taking her away on Valentine's Day.

"It's beautiful," gasps Lily. Marc has set up an entire Muggle story picnic. There is a plaid blanket laid out with a picnic basket on top of it.

"You like it?" he says, grinning at her.

"I _love_ it," she replies, kissing him on the cheek. The two of them walk over to the blanket and sit down.

For a majority of the evening they just talk and enjoy each other's presence. For once, things seem to be where they should be for Lily except she cannot stop thinking about James. She wonders what James is doing and how he would react if he sees her up here with Marc. The obvious would clearly jump to his head: That they are hooking up here. The thought makes her sick to her stomach in worry that someone, mostly him, _will_ come up here while they are watching the stars and jump to the wrong conclusion.

"Lily? Are you alright?" Marc asks concerned. "You seem a little dazed. Perhaps we should –"

"Oh, no I'm fine," Lily says quickly. Despite her lingering thoughts about James, she does not want this night to end on a sour note. She leans in to kiss him and he cups her cheek, readily returning the kiss.

Moving their dinner out of the way, Marc brings her closer to him and deepens the kiss. Without warning, he flips her over on her back and his tongue enters her mouth without her permission.

_Bloody hell_ Lily's insides scream in terror. This is going _way_ further than she is comfortable with and she thought Marc knew that boundary. She struggles to get out from under him but unfortunately, he takes it to mean that she wants him to take off his shirt. He does so enthusiastically and Lily can feel his toned chest up against her own.

She is now feeling very cold and at first, she thinks it is because she is afraid but to her horror, she realizes it is because he has taken her blouse off. How did –? When did –?

She feels him trying to now get her bra off and she is about to knock him off when she hears:

"OI!"

Lily's heart nearly stops. She would know that voice anywhere, whether it be yelling orders on the Quidditch pitch or asking her out the previous year. It is the very last voice she wants to hear right now and the very last person she wants to be seeing her in this compromising position.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," James says coolly as Lily dives behind Marc. Also to her horror, she now notices that he somehow has gotten her skirt off and she has no idea where it is.

Bloody hell.

"What are you doing here Potter?" sneers Marc. "Trying to get a view?"

James glares daggers at him. "I actually _was_ but not the view that I got." He seems to turn red at this and tries to look straight at Marc and not at the half naked girl behind him.

Marc notices this and smirks.

"All in good time Potter, all in good time," he mouths to him.

James clenches his fist and storms out of the Astronomy Tower angrily.

"That was brilliant Lily," laughs Marc once James is gone. "Potter's eyes were the size of –"

"_Marc!"_ she shrieks, slapping him across the face. He winces. He should have expected that because he knows perfectly well where her boundaries lay.

"What?"

"_What?_ You know damn well _what_. I thought I was perfectly clear when I told you that I am not comfortable with this. You deliberately crossed the boundary and made me look like a right fool. I ought to end things with you right here and now!"

_Not again_ he thinks to himself and is surprised when he feels a pang of terror in his chest.

"Please Lily, I'm so sorry," he begs, trying not to watch her button up her shirt. "I know that I over crossed your boundaries but I couldn't help myself." She scoffs. "Really! I got so caught up in everything I – I lost control."

"That's obvious," she says harshly, putting on her skirt. Tonight more of her has been seen than she ever cared to be.

"Please Lily," begs Marc. He cannot lose her now. Not yet. "I promise I'll never do it again if you're not comfortable with it."

Lily sighs and surveys him carefully. Something about all of this is unsettling her. Is this what Margaret and James were talking about?

"Fine," she finally says. "I'll forgive you but just this once."

"Thank you, Lily!" breathes Marc. Both of them have their clothes back on now and he gives her a hug. She hugs him back wearily, her mind wandering again to the shocked expression on James' face.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

His intentions used to be so clear. Date Lily Evans, make her fall for him, dump her, and watch her crumble. It is truly a long story and not so black and white as James thinks. The truth of the matter is…Marc Jacobs is not who he appears to be. He, in fact, is a Metamorphmagus. Marc Jacobs does not truly exist just as Marc Davis had mysteriously disappeared at the end of their fourth year. Confused? Let me explain in simpler terms. Marc Davis mysteriously disappeared after Lily had broken up with him for creating pictures of him and Lily in bed. Conveniently enough, Marc Jacobs transferred to Hogwarts at the beginning of their fifth year. At the end of his fifth year it was popular belief that his father passed away and that his mother is extremely ill, therefore leaving no trace to his past identity, since she kept her maiden name, and him free to take up this fake one. However, now his original intentions seem to be getting jumbled around. Back in his fourth year he had truly liked, perhaps even loved, Lily but had been a prat and has regretted it ever since. He is still spiteful though when she had broken up with him and decided this is the best and easiest way to get revenge. Now, however, he is falling for her _again_. It is not surprising, she is a beautiful and caring young lady. He does not want to hurt her like he had intended to and instead wants to keep her for him so Potter can never have her.

How could his intentions get so unclear?

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James is seething and also horrified. He cannot believe that he walked in on Lily about to "get it on" with Jacobs. He knows that they are just friends…if that but he never expected her to allow Jacobs to jump her bones.

He walks down the corridor and without warning, punches the wall. He ignores the searing pain in his hand and slumps down the wall and onto the floor.

What is he going to do?

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Snape misses Lily like hell. He misses her laugh, her smile, and the way she would comfort him when they were younger and he was upset about his home life. He obviously needs her a hell of a lot more than she needs him. He needs to get her back on his side but he still does not know how.

How have things become so complicated?

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A/N: Please review!


	17. Friendship

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 17 – Friendship

James storms into his dormitory and the door hits the wall with a sickening crunch. He cannot count the amount of time that has happened and how many times they have had to repair it.

Sirius, Remus, and Peter jump in surprise and look at him nervously. Heat is practically emanating off of him and when James is angry it is best to calm him down fast before he does something rash.

"Erm – hey mate," Sirius says slowly. James kicks off his shoes and nearly takes off Peter's head with his right one. "What's going on?"

"Why don't you go to the Astronomy Tower and take a look for yourself," growls James, punching his pillow to take the desired shape. The only problem is that he does not know what shape that is and none of them seem to be pleasing him.

"What do you mean?" squeaks Peter, and James glares at the pillow angrily.

"You lot know how I like to go up to the Astronomy Tower to think, right?" The other three nod.

"Potentially problematic though since it's the most common hookup location," says Remus, speaking up for the first time since James arrived.

"Yes, well it was being put to good use tonight." His friends look at him baffled. "I walked in on Jacobs and _Lily_ practically doing the deed."

"_WHAT?"_ cry the other Marauders.

"No, you have to be wrong…" says Remus. James shakes his head.

"I bloody know what I saw Moony. I walked in on the two of them half naked and snogging," he says disgusted. "She was practically clawing away at him."

"Did they say anything?" asks Sirius.

James nods. "Lily practically dived behind Jacobs and he accused me of coming to get a 'view' and then mouthed 'all in good time' to me. That bastard is going to hurt her and she's letting him."

"You mentioned her clawing…" says Remus thoughtfully. "Are you sure that she wasn't struggling to get out of his grasp? The Lily you described doesn't sound like the Lily we actually know – the Lily that would _never_ hook up with anyone, least of all in such an open space."

James never thought of it that way. After all, he did not stick around to listen to what Lily had to say. It all is so vivid in his mind though and makes him feel sick to his stomach.

"You should talk to her, Prongs," Remus suggests wisely. "Get her side of things before you go jumping to the wrong conclusions."

James concedes and without bothering to put his shoes back on, traipses back downstairs to try and find Lily. It is not very difficult since one he arrives she is sitting in her alcove, her head in her hands.

James makes his way over to her, ignoring the stares he is getting from people and taps her on the shoulder. She looks up and looks alarmed.

"James, I –"

He shakes his head. "Can we walk?"

She nods and gets up. He summons his shoes from his dormitory and pulls them on hastily.

Side-by-side, the two of them walk out of the common room, neither saying a word to the other. That will come in due course.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

As Lily and James walk down the corridor, the former cannot help but feel her anxiety level rise. He just saw her half naked in the Astronomy Tower, being straddled by her boyfriend. What he must think of her…But since when does she care what he thinks?

_Since you admitted to liking him_ the voice inside her head quips.

She becomes aware that he is speaking to her but missed part of what he has said.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" she asks, and he looks slightly unsettled.

"I was wondering…what exactly happened tonight?"

Lily's heart sinks. How is she going to explain this without making him more upset? Will he lash out at her? No, James is usually good at keeping his temper in check. She _has_ trampled on his heart multiple times though. Who is to say that he will not yell at her?

"I – It's complicated," she murmurs, and he narrows his eyes. "What were you doing in the Astronomy Tower?"

"It's complicated," he replies drily (**A/N: Sorry, I had to use this line – it's from DH2 if you haven't seen it. I just found it hilarious when Harry and Griphook said this**). She gives him a look.

"Marc and I decided to do Valentine's Day early since I'll be accompanying Margaret back home for her brother's funeral. We were having a picnic and just watching the stars and he went further than I expected. I couldn't get him off of me and I was about to slap him when you walked in."

_Moony was right_ thinks James wearily. He then feels his blood boil at the thought of Marc ignoring Lily's comfort levels. _That bastard._

"I went up to the Astronomy Tower to try and clear my head," James says, realizing it is his turn to answer. "Little did I know it would only add more confusion and frustration."

Lily looks at the ground guiltily as they turn the corner. She is having trouble meeting his eyes after what he saw.

"I can't imagine what you think of me," she mutters.

James snorts. "No worse than what I think of Jacobs. He over stepped your boundaries Lily, you're not to blame."

"You seem to be singing a different tune than you were earlier."

"The others calmed me down a bit." Lily stops dead in her tracks.

"You told the _others?"_ she cries.

"Erm…yeah. I came in angry – to say the least – and they asked what was wrong."

"It's still _my_ business! How could you tell _Sirius?_ He's the biggest blabber mouth!" James glares at her.

"He happens to be my best mate –"

"Who cannot keep his bloody trap shut. Trust me, I would know."

"Right. He said something that was supposed to be kept secret," James say annoyed. "Care to enlighten me on what that is?"

"No, not particularly," Lily retorts, and James rolls his eyes. "It doesn't concern you," she lies.

He is about to open his mouth to reply when another memory flashes before his eyes.

_-Flashback-_

_"SIRIUS!" shrieked a female voice from the other side of the curtain._

_Sirius gasped. "Holy shit."_

_"You're damn right 'holy shit', you promised you wouldn't tell anyone!" cried Lily, appearing on their side. "And now that you have, there's going to be hell to pay!"_

_"What is going on out here?" cried an enraged Madam Pomfrey. "What are you two doing out of bed and what are you all allowing them out? You can wake the patient!"_

_"He's in a bloody coma! How could we?" screamed Lily hysterically._

_-End Flashback-_

"I was right," James says in wonder, and Lily looks at him confused. "I _was_ there when Sirius said something in the hospital wing that was meant to be kept secret."

Lily's face drains of colour and she looks at him for the first time that night, in alarm. Is he remembering things that happened that day?

"W-What do you -?"

"I just remembered you yelling at Sirius and telling him that there'd be hell to pay and Madam Pomfrey mentioned my presence there."

"Did you hear anything else?" she asks, trying to mask her fear. He looks at her curiously.

"What are you hiding Lily?" he asks seriously.

"N-Nothing," she stammers. "I'm awfully tired James, I think I'm going to head back. I'll – I'll see you later."

Before he can stop her, she takes off down the corridor. He watches as her red hair flies behind her and once she turns the corner he sighs and runs his hand through his hair.

The more he is remembering, the more confusing this is getting.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily's birthday is coming up in one day and Lily is still adamant about not wanting a birthday party.

"Lily come _on!"_ complains Margaret. "You're being a little unreasonable."

Lily scoffs. "_I'm_ being unreasonable? Unreasonable would be if I threatened to throw you guys off the Astronomy Tower, which by the way isn't out of the question right about now. If anyone's being unreasonable it's _you_ lot!"

"All we want to do is throw you a party in the common room," moans Sirius. "It's not like we're going to announce it in front of the entire school!"

"Yeah, been there, done that, haven't you?" says Lily grimly.

"Oh Merlin, don't remind me," mutters James.

_-Flashback-_

"_HEY EVERYONE! IT'S LILY'S EVANS BIRTHDAY TODAY AND SHE PROMISED JAMESY HERE THAT SHE'D HAVE HOT, DIRTY, JUNGLE –" shouted a fourteen-year-old Sirius._

"_BLACK!" screamed an incensed and mortified Lily. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"_

"_There are witnesses now aren't there, Evans?" smirked Sirius. "Go to the broom cupboard on the sixth floor if you want to see Evans in a –"_

"_SIRIUS BLACK!" yelled both Lily and James, whom now was beet red._

_-End Flashback-_

"The scary thing is that you were actually more tame then," smirks Marlene, and Sirius grins cheekily.

"Aint that the truth."

"_Puhleeze_ Lily?" beg her friends as they head to dinner. They are going to plan it anyway but they want to make sure there is less a chance of them getting killed and/or castrated (in the guys' case) in their sleep.

She spins around and faces them half irritated, half amused.

"NO! N-O! Zip! Nada! Zoose! Goose egg!" shouts Lily. Passerby students walking in and out of the Great Hall look at her oddly. "Do. You. _Understand?"_

Her friends stare at her for a moment.

"_Puhleeze?"_ they continue. Sirius actually gets down and hangs onto her ankles.

"Sirius, get off of me!" cries Lily, trying hard not to laugh. Sirius looks up pouting.

"Oi, Prongs," he says suddenly. "When you and Lily-bean get married you're gonna be one lucky –"

"ENOUGH!" shouts Lily, kicking Sirius off.

James blushes furiously and glares at him. Lily and him have not spoken much since the previous night except to ask the occasional Transfiguration question. They have made and unspoken agreement, however, not to mention what James saw.

"You think this is funny, don't you?" she says to him, and he looks at her in surprise. Her eyes flash and he backs up nervous.

"No ma'am."

"I'm going to the library," she announces. She glares at Sirius who is grinning sheepishly on the ground. "I've lost my appetite."

"Well mine just got a hell of a lot –" he begins.

Lily groans as everyone else laughs and covers her ears, trying to get the mental pictures out of her head as she runs down the hall.

"Inconceivable," says Marlene, shaking her head disbelievingly.

"That's what the ladies find most attractive."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The rest of the day before and of Lily's birthday party passes uneventfully. The day of they coordinate who is in charge of every aspect of the party. Sirius and Marlene are in charge of food, Margaret and Remus are in charge of decorations, James and Peter are in charge of drinks and what to spike it with, and Alice with the occasional help from Frank are in charge of keeping Lily away from the common room as they are planning.

"Where are we getting all these supplies from?" asks Marlene incredulously. "It's not like we can sneak out of the school or something."

"Au contraire Marleyairé," teases Sirius, and she gives him a look. "They don't call me the grand Marauder for nothing!"

"No one has _ever_ called you that," laughs Marlene. She is finally beginning to loosen up around Sirius. As long as they are not kissing and it is not just after it, she is fine. Otherwise, she will get all stiff and awkward, as will he.

Sirius pretends to act wounded as they make their way up to the guys' dormitory.

"We just need a little assistance from Prongs' trunk," says Sirius absentmindedly. "Unfortunately the finality to our rule breaking isn't _quite_ in effect yet."

"Meaning?"

"It's still a work in progress," explains Sirius, rummaging through James' trunk. "It's taking Moony a lot more time than we anticipated."

"So naturally Remus is pulling all the weight?" says Marlene.

Sirius glares at her. "Not quite. See, we each did a lot of the complex magic, save Pete who just helped with some background stuff, but now Moony, seeing as he's the most skilled in Charms, has to finish it off."

"And what, dare I ask, is this mysterious 'work-in-progress'?" asks Marlene curiously.

Sirius grins and ruffles his hair so roguishly that Marlene's mind is temporarily blank until she shakes her head.

"You okay?" he asks concerned.

"Y-Yeah," she says. She gasps as he pulls out a silvery substance. "Is that –?"

"An Invisibility Cloak?" he replies. "Yeah, it is but you can't tell a soul about it. Not even your friends."

"Why not? They _are_ my friends!" says Marlene hotly.

"Because the more people who know the less we can prank. Duh!" says Sirius jokingly. He lifts the Cloak up so he can get under and then motions for her to follow. She hesitates.

"Oh come on, I don't bite," he teases. He then winces.

"What?" she asks. Now it is her turn to be concerned.

He just shakes his head. "Nothing – stupid joke. What else is new?"

Taken aback by his sudden change in character, she gets under the Cloak with him. They are close enough that she can smell his cologne as they make their way down the stairs.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Do you have all the decorations?" asks Remus awkwardly. Margaret nods and indicates to the several bags scattered around the common room. "Okay good. What do you suggest we hang up first?"

"I guess these," says Margaret quietly. She walks over to a bag and takes out the streamers that she has magicked to say "Happy Birthday Lily". Remus nods his approval and takes some of his own, and begins levitating/weaving them around the common room. Lily's birthday is in five hours and it has to look perfect.

They work in silence for most of the time mainly because they have nothing to say to each other. It is after twenty minutes that Remus asks the question that has been on Margaret's mind for weeks.

"You know…we never did really talk about what happened?" he says hesitantly. It was more of a question than a statement.

Margaret purses her lips. She has been wanting to talk about it for weeks but now that it has been brought up she would be perfectly content in forgetting about it. She jumps as the common room door opens and even though she turns around she cannot see anyone. She turns back to Remus who is waiting patiently.

"What's there to talk about?" she asks nervously. "It was a mistake and now you and girlfriend – excuse me, _ex-girlfriend,_ broke up over it."

Remus replies calmly, "Yes, that's true but you had admitted that you liked me a lot and kissed me afterwards."

"That's a lie! Sure I said I liked you and you said you liked me but _you_ kissed _me_!"

Remus shrugs. "Fine. You kissed back though."

Margaret opens her mouth to make a witty retort but finds she has nothing. She closes her mouth again and glares at Remus as he has a playful smirk on his lips. She is momentarily distracted by them but shakes it off.

"What are you smirking at?" she asks distractedly. He notices this and grins even wider.

"Oh, nothing," he says innocently. She smacks his arm with a Potions book that she finds on a table.

"Don't you 'oh, nothing' me, Remus Lupin," she growls. "I sure as hell can tell when you're lying."

"Oh? How's that?" he asks very amused.

"I'm not some daft dimbo, you know. Living with you for nearly six years and being friends with your friends this past year has given me time to know all about you."

"You hardly know me."

She gives him a look. "I know about your 'furry little problem'. What else is there to know?"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Severus is finishing up his Ancient Runes homework in the common room when a shadow is cast over him. He grunts irritably and looks up to see the younger Black staring down at him. When he does not say anything Severus asks:

"Can I help you with something?"

Regulus smirks. "No, not me personally but I got a message from my cousin saying that the Dark Lord wishes to see you immediately."

Severus stares at him wide-eyed, more shocked than he cares to let on. He knows what this must mean. The Dark Lord has been intending to make Severus one of his own of late and today must be that day. He has finally decided that having spies in the school will be beneficial for him.

"Where is he?" asks Severus coolly.

"In the forest obviously," sneers Regulus. "He told me to accompany you down there."

"And why would the Dark Lord insist that I be accompanied by a scrawny fourteen-year-old?"

Regulus glares at him. "Because he wants me for the same reason he wants you."

Severus emits a gasp. _"You're_ getting branded too?"

Regulus nods. "Don't act so surprised that it took you longer than me to get the privilege of officially joining the Dark Lord. I _do_ have better connections."

Severus glares at him and reaches down to put his unfinished homework back in his bag, knowing from personal experience that the Dark Lord does not like to be kept waiting.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily knows something was up. The whole day Alice has been in the library with her and she knows how much Alice hates being in the library especially since she hates Madam Pince.

"You know Lily, you really should have let us throw you a party tonight," says Alice, feigning being upset. Lily rolls her eyes.

"And give in to you guys? Never! That would mean admitting I'm weak!" Alice laughs. "Tell me again why you're here of all places when this is your least favorite room in the castle?" asks Lily as she works on her infuriating Divination homework. _Why_ did she insist on continuing this subject?

Alice says, "That's not true! The Slytherin common room is far worse."

Lily arches an eyebrow but continues writing all the same.

"_You've_ been in the Slytherin common room?"

"Well no…"

"Well I have and it's not that bad actually. Since it's under the lake it has a nice green glow."

"Really? Why were _you_ in there?" asks Alice interested and she has to keep Lily here. "To visit Snape when you were still friends?"

Lily shakes her head. "I was in there right before Christmas break helping the Marauders with a prank."

Alice's eyes widen. "Seriously? You and James were in the same room back when you _always_ bit each others heads off?"

"You act like it was a sign of the apocalypse."

"How do you know it wasn't?"

"How do you know what wasn't?" asks a voice from behind the bookshelf. They whirl around and come face-to-face with Frank.

"Hey Frank," greets Alice cheerfully. She moves over so he can sit next to her. "What are you doing in here?"

He shrugs. "I didn't really feel like listening to Remus and Margaret –" he begins but cuts off when he sees Alice's warning expression. "I mean…I felt like escaping from my homework," he says lamely.

Lily snorts. "Oh, well that makes perfect sense. You want to escape from homework so you go to the place that is basically homework central."

Frank grins and pecks Alice on the cheek. She smiles and kisses him back. Lily smiles also and closes her book before placing her essay in her bag.

"Well, I'm going to head back to the common room to take a shower," says Lily, starting to get up but both Alice and Frank hold her down. "What?"

"Don't you have your…Ancient Runes homework to finish?" asks Alice, coming up with something off the top of her head. Frank nods.

"Yes, I do but Severus took the book I need for it earlier," replies Lily confused. "Is there some strange reason why I can't go back to my dormitory?"

"No of course not," says Frank hastily. "You know though it'd be horrible to wait until the last minute to finish it. We can help you find another book so you don't end up like us cramming."

Lily smiles. "That's true. I've seen that far too many times and heard the tears, the moans, and the tempers."

Alice and Frank share an inward sigh of relief until Lily says:

"I really should head back though. I need to see whether or not Margaret needs my help with Potions."

"Remus can help her with that," says Alice. "_He's_ the one tutoring her after all! Come on, I'll help you find your book now." She steers Lily back to the very back of the library and they search for her desired book. Madam Pince has rearranged the library, _yet again_.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Remus looks at the ground and does not say anything.

"You've never seen me that one night out of the month. You don't _really_ know me, Margaret."

"You just said it Remus – _one night_ out of the month! That's not who you really are Remus, I thought we came to that understanding."

"I'm a beast, Margaret and there's nothing you can say to change my mind. Most people run in fear of me and shun me from society. I was lucky enough to get into this school with a Headmaster so understanding. If anyone found out what I am the school governors would remove me and I'd never be able to complete my education."

"Well that's ridiculous! You're one of the most kind-hearted people I know and one of the most intelligent!" exclaims Margaret. Remus flushed and smiled.

"That's sweet of you but you have to look at it from their point of view. Parents who find out won't want their kids in school with a werewolf and who could blame them? Dumbledore had to make sure there was a safe place for me to transform every month where no student could accidentally get to me."

"Where's that?" asks Margaret.

"I can't say and it's not important because I don't need anyone looking for me during the full moon," whispers Remus. He looks around at the common room that appears to be empty. "I've said it once and it hasn't changed…I wouldn't hold it against you if you never spoke to me again."

"Remus," says Margaret seriously. "I've known about this before Bellatrix announced it. If I didn't want to associate with you anymore don't you think I would have left before now?"

Remus has no response.

"I don't care what you are it's who you are that makes a difference. And who you are is a kind, intelligent, fun-loving friend. You just happen to have one flaw. Everyone does or else they wouldn't be human."

"The best people tend to have flaws and it's the way they choose to live their lives with it that makes all the difference. Whether it's fate, destiny, or some unknown god that gives us our flaws it makes us who were are and makes us all the more stronger in our every day endeavors. Don't push us all away because you're afraid Remus. We could have done that ourselves a long time ago."

Remus smiles. He cannot remember anyone who has ever been this understanding of him. He cannot say in words how much he appreciates what Margaret said so he decides to approach it another way.

"Thank you," he whispers. He then leans in and kisses her like he has done before.

_CLICK!_

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A/N: I know it's short but the next chapter deserves to be by itself.


	18. Parties and Confessions

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 18 – Parties and Confessions

Margaret and Remus pull apart abruptly.

"_Remus_, I'm most certainly not daft but you have got to be if you think kissing in the _common room_ is a good idea!" hisses Margaret. "I mean, _us?_ _Seriously?"_

"Why? What's wrong with us?"

"Oh I don't know, the fact that you _just_ broke up with Dorcas and she's out for blood!"

"You're not actually scared of her, are you?"

Margaret gives him a look. "She's a lot more cunning than she lets on."

"It doesn't matter though. We're _over_ and that means that I can move on to someone else, right?" asks Remus, and Margaret is surprised.

"Remus, I've never seen this side of you before and I doubt many others have so I'm going to say this once and only once. I am _not_ about to be caught in the gossip chain that is Hogwarts! I just won't go down that road again!"

"Again?" he asks puzzled.

"Long story. Post breakup in fifth year," says Margaret, running her fingers through her hair. She looks at Remus seriously. "We can't _do_ this Remus! The more we do it, the harder it'll be to stop!"

"I know, I know," sighs Remus. "Come on, we'd better get back to decorating. We only have – _he looks at his watch and gasps_ – one more hour!"

Margaret's eyes widen. "Come on!" They hastily begin adding more decorations around the room and embellishing them as they go.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Guys, I finished all my homework," says Lily impatiently. "Can we please go back to the common room now?"

"No!" cries Alice. Lily looks at her strangely. "I mean…no, we need to…erm…_Conjunctivitus_!" Lily yelps in pain and Frank looks at Alice incredulously.

"I had to do _something_," mouths Alice to him. "Help me!" This is mouthed also.

"Guys! What happened? _Why can't I see anything_?" gasps Lily. "Is this the Conjunctivitus spell?" she asks shrilly. Frank grabs her before she nearly runs into the bookshelf, which would have been bad seeing as it would have knocked every other one down.

"Who's holding me?" she asks, spinning around.

"It's me, Frank," he says. "You almost knocked down the bookshelf."

"Yeah, well I wouldn't have if Alice hadn't –" begins Lily. "Wait. WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME?" she shrieks.

"SHH!" hisses Madam Pince as they lead Lily out.

"Funny, you'd think she'd be quieter considering _she's_ the librarian," remarks Lily. Alice and Frank stifle their laughter at Madam Pince's expression.

"Come on Lily, let's go," says Alice through fits of laughter. "Frank go on up ahead and erm – make sure there a no Professors." She winks at him. He nods and runs ahead.

"Where are we going?" asks Lily irritably.

"No where," sighs Alice.

"No where is still somewhere," points out Lily.

"Would you stop being so snappy for five minutes and just let me take you where I need to take you?"

Lily crosses her arms. "Fine. But if I bump into a wall I'll have my lawyers in touch."

Alice chuckles and leads her to the common room.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sirius and Marlene are coming back up the witches hump laughing hysterically.

"She was hysterical trying to find out who was taking all the booze!" chokes Marlene. Sirius laughs too but stifles it as Professor McGonagall walks by.

Marlene is about to start cracking up again but Sirius quickly covers her mouth with his hand. Professor McGonagall passes and then they laugh freely.

"You obviously haven't sneaked around before, have you?" asks an amused Sirius.

"No. Getting detentions aren't at the top of my to-do list," retorts Marlene, and Sirius grins.

"Chill, I was just kissing."

"_What?"_

"What?"

"What did you say?" asks Marlene, trying to clear her head.

"I said I was just kidding," says Sirius confused. "Are you okay Marley?"

"Don't call me that," snaps Marlene. "Yes, I-I'm fine."

"No you're not," says Sirius, stopping in the middle of the hallway. He turns to look at her and she shifts uncomfortably, very aware that he is staring into her eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asks awkwardly.

Sirius shrugs and leans into kiss her. She kisses him back and they remained entwined, invisible, and in the middle of the corridor.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The decorations are finished and Remus and Margaret are sitting on the common room couch kissing again. What else is new? Well, one could not classify it as _kissing_ but they are allowing certain pecks on the cheek. That is…until it gets a little out of hand.

Remus is now sucking on Margaret's lip seductively, allowing small little kisses here and there. He leans forward so he is on top of her and she obliges, leaning back on the pillow. He opens his eyes so he can stare at her beautiful face before continuing. He licked her lips, as if asking, if not begging, for her to allow his tongue entrance to forbidden area. She obliges again and his tongue enters on a mission. He explores her mouth and she lets out little moans as he does so. He allows his fingers to dance around on the bottom of her tank top, fully aware that anyone can walk in at any moment, especially a lone first year.

He lets his hand play with it before slipping it underneath it and slowly moving his hand up to her left breast, massaging it comfortably. She moans as his lips begin traveling down the hollow of her neck, kissing it gently before he lets his hand slip back down to the bottom of her shirt and with the help of both hands, he slips it over her head and throws it onto the ground right below them.

Margaret hastily follows suit and grabs his shirt hurriedly, dropping it to the floor. She bends her knee up as Remus traces her stomach with little kisses, moaning again at the feel of Remus' lips on her skin. She shuts her eyes and lets Remus take control, slipping her hands into his hair as he slides a hand underneath her skirt, tracing her thigh with his fingers before getting dangerously close to her private area. She knows that this is so wrong and this is most definitely the wrong place to be _doing it_ but she lets her hormones get the better of her.

Running his finger up her thigh, Remus cannot take it anymore. He has never felt like this before. He quickly unbuttons and unzips her skirt and flings it off, leaving her with only her bra and underwear, enough to make him harden to the point of pain.

She begins unzipping his pants to relieve him and then –

_CLICK!_

Margaret gasps and Remus jumps up.

"What was that?" she asks sharply. He shrugs and re-zips his pants and puts his shirt back on. She follows suit and puts her tank top back on and her sweater, as well as her skirt. The pair of them look like an owl tried to make a nest in their hair.

"I'm going to go up to my dormitory…I'll be back," says Margaret somewhat seductively. Remus nods, not able to forget the power he just felt and the fact that he has not been this happy in such a long time.

He looks around the common room, trying to find the source of the clicking but does not see anyone or anything. He shrugs and walks up to his own dormitory to run his fingers through his hair.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Frank runs back to the common room to check if the coast is clear and what meets his eyes is shocking. Remus and Margaret on the couch with barely _anything_ on. Do they not know that _anyone_ besides him could have walked in? He assumes no one knows this, especially Alice and know they will not be thrilled to realize this is the reason Remus and Dorcas broke up. It all makes sense. They must have been doing this before they broke up and Remus felt guilty. Now he is a free agent and can do whatever he wants with whomever he wants to do it with. This does not make sense though. This kind of thing is usually reserved for _Sirius_ not _Remus_. He shakes his head and closes the portrait hole just in time to hear a:

_CLICK!_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Sirius, what are we doing?" asks Marlene, pulling away from him.

"Snogging?" replies Sirius innocently. Marlene's upper lip twitches.

"Invisible? _In the middle of the corridor?"_

Sirius sighs. "I guess you're right…want to go back to my room?"

Marlene laughs. "Nah, I'm good for now but I'll perhaps take you up on that offer one day." She winks at him and he grins. She is a hell of a lot more fun when she loosens up.

"Come on, let's get back before the others wonder where we are," she suggests.

Sirius nods. "Good idea. Prongs said we need to be back before him so he has time to spike the drinks."

"You know Lily is going to kill us, right?"

Sirius nods. "Maybe you should give me another kiss. You know, incase we don't come out of this alive. She does have a fiery temper."

Marlene laughs again and says something she never thought she would in her life. "How about this? If we get out of this alive, I'll give you a present in more ways than one."

Sirius' eyes light up like a child on Christmas.

"Deal!" They both laugh and run back to the common room carrying their drinks in toll.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Come on Lily, just a little further," says Alice nervously. She sure hopes they are all ready.

Frank heads back to the common room, hoping that they are not still having sex on the couch that he will never sit on again. He opens the portrait hole and is relieved to find everything in order.

"We all ready for Lily?" he asks. The whole common room nods. "Good. I'll go get Alice before Lily freaks out on her."

Everyone laughs as he runs out, closing the Fat Lady as he goes.

"It's all good," mouths Frank to Alice once he meets up with her. She sighs with relief.

"Okay Lily, let's go," she says.

"LET'S GO?" shrieks Lily. "You've been saying that for I don't know how _long!_ Where _am_ I?"

"Right outside the common room. Here." She undoes the curse, enabling Lily to see again. She glares at Alice and then says the password (Pygmy Puff) to the Fat Lady. She smiles and nods and opens to –

"SURPRISE!" cries the entire common room.

Lily stumbles back in surprise. Her eyes bug out as she realizes _every Gryffindor_ is in the room and turns red.

"Either she's really mad or really embarrassed," says James loudly. Everyone laughs, including, to his or her surprise, Lily.

"I'd like to see James, Remus, Margaret, Marlene, Sirius, Peter, Alice, and Frank," says Lily to the crowd. "If you even _dare_ to try hiding I will not _hesitate_ in hunting you down."

"Aw, but murder puts a damper on any party," smirks Sirius, walking over with the others.

"You guys planned this against my wishes," she says.

"It's was James' idea," says Remus hastily. Everyone nods and James glares playfully at him or her all. He then turns back to Lily and shrugs innocently.

"I can trust each of them as far as I can throw them," he jokes. Lily laughs and then walks forward to hug him. He hugs her back and she lets go, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. His face burns and everyone in the common room gasps.

"What? You've never seen to friends hugging and kissing on the cheek before?" asks James. Lily grins and the whispers break out.

"Terrific. The more rumours the merrier," she says sarcastically. James laughs and says:

"Will thou fair mistress allowest me for a dance?" he asks, mock seriously. Lily laughs.

"You may, thy noble knight," she says, curtsying then taking his hand. They dance for most of the night to fast songs, laughing and enjoying each other's company. Occasionally Lily will switch over and dance with Marc but then somehow she ends up with James again. She is having a brilliant time, it is only when a slow song comes on does it become awkward.

"This is for all you couples out there or anyone who's still in denial about being a couple," says Sirius, his voice amplified. He looks directly at Lily and James and winks at them. Lily glares at him and James looks at his feet.

"I'm going to kill him," he mutters.

"Why's that?" asks Lily surprised.

"Because he feels the need to do _this_," he says, motioning to around them at all the couples slow dancing. "I'm sorry Lily, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable –"

Lily shrugs and smiles slightly. "He means well," is all she says. She puts her arms around his neck and he puts his hands hesitantly on her waist.

"I don't bite you know," she teases. James laughs, lightening the tension considerably.

"You know, if you told me a year ago that I'd finally be able to get you to dance with me I'd have thought you were mental," laughs James, and Lily grins.

"Join the club. Except I would have probably hexed _you_ into oblivion or booked you a place at the funny farm." James roars with laughter and she feels chills go up and down her spine. She loves his laugh. It is so warm and genuine.

She rests her head on his chest since she cannot reach his shoulder and she can feel him smile into her hair. Then she feels his jaw drop.

_-Flashback-_

"_How dare he try to gain Lily-bean's trust repeatedly and then go do something like this! For Merlin's sake, Lily loves James!"_

"_SIRIUS!" shrieks a female voice._

_-End Flashback-_

_-Flashback-_

"_I know this may seem like the cowardly thing to do but I figured I might as well tell you now and save a lot of time and hassle. James…I like you, I really do. And I don't know but…I think I might even be beginning to love you."_

"_The fact that I have butterflies in my stomach when I'm near you but now I also feel them when I'm away from you. You happen to appear whether in my thoughts or physically wherever I am…I'm sorry I caused you so much pain."_

_-End Flashback-_

"James? Are you okay?" asks Lily, looking up at him concerned.

"W-What?" he stammers. It all makes sense to him now – the reason she acted so angry around Sirius…her being uncomfortable around him…But does she _really_ love him?

"Are you okay?" Lily repeats slowly. "You were kind of just staring at me shocked with a blank expression on your face."

James shakes his head, trying to clear it and then looks at Lily again.

"You _love_ me?" he whispers.

Lily's heart freezes in her chest. He remembers? But how? Oh no!

She backs up from him, avoiding his eyes and runs out of the common room. She does not know why she is running or where she is running to but she knows she has to get as far away from James as possible.

"LILY! WAIT!" calls James. _How is he going to find her and tell her he feels the same way?_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James looks over to where Remus is dancing with Margaret. They are both grinning at each other like they know something he does not. He also notices Dorcas is glaring at the pair of them from the corner. He catches her eye and she quickly averts her gaze from them.

He ignored this, however, and strides over to where Remus and Margaret are.

"Hey Margaret, could I borrow Remus for a second?" asks James. Before she can reply he says, "Thanks!" He pulls Remus by the arm over to the corner. Margaret shrugs and walks over to her friends.

"What the hell, mate?" asks Remus surprised. James is taken aback. Since when does Remus fancy himself to act like Sirius?

"What the hell is that Lily ran off," says James, and Remus' eyes widen.

"Are you kidding me? What did you do? It's her birthday for Merlin's sake. The birthday girl is _typically_ at her own party!"

"Really? I had no idea," says James sarcastically. "I know _that_, is the Marauder's map done yet?"

Remus gives him a look. "We're still trying to put the 'lock' on it."

"WHAT? That should have been done months ago!"

"Well sorry if your being in a coma occupying our minds inconvenienced you," says Remus dryly. "It's not exactly an easy piece of magic and we didn't plan on being one Marauder short!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," says James hurriedly. "But where in Merlin's beard am I going to search for Lily? She could be anywhere in the bloody school! She could be off campus!"

"No, she never condones that sort of thing and sets her standards too high to do so," says Remus, taking a swig of spiked punch. "Do you know where she typically likes to go?"

James thinks for a moment. "Well, the Astronomy Tower and her dormitory are out. Erm…damn, I'm such an idiot! When she's upset she likes to go outside on the opposite side of the lake by that really old tree. She'll climb up there and just stare at the lake. Thanks Moony!"

He runs off without another word leaving a very confused and tipsy Remus to wander back off to Margaret or the first girl who falls in his path.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Coming back in from outside, Severus is about to pass the marble staircase when a figure hurtles down the stairs and knocks him over, tumbling down with him.

"Watch where you're going," snarls the figure. Severus recognizes the voice.

"That's rich Potter, seeing as _you're_ the one who knocked me down," sneers Severus. "Where's the fire?"

James glares at him. "I have to find Lily."

"Don't call her that," snaps Severus. "Only her friends can." He pauses. "Wait, what happened? What did you do to her?"

"What are you her keeper? You have no right telling me what I can and cannot do and it's not like _you're_ her friend anymore. Also, it's none of your damn business what happened." He would love to tell Severus how he just remembered that Lily possibly loves him just to see his reaction. He knows though that Lily would never forgive him for telling anyone else that though.

"All thanks to you," says Severus through gritted teeth. To his surprise, Potter looks uncomfortable.

"I didn't mean for that to happen," he says honestly. "She was so torn up after the fight you guys had."

"Let me guess, you went to her so you could comfort her?"

"I wanted to," James says honestly, and Severus looks away from him disgust. "But Remus told me to let her sort it out on her own and that she wouldn't appreciate pity, least of all from me."

"Yeah, that's Lily. She never has liked pity and I doubt she ever will," says Severus remorsefully. His feelings for Lily are enough to make him forget whom he is talking to.

"Look Snape, I never intended for you and Lily to stop being friends. You ended it on your own by calling her that horrid name and I can't take back what you said to her and neither can you."

"I know that," says Severus bitterly. James bites his lip.

"However, I could try convincing her to at least be somewhat friends with you," says James hesitantly. Severus looks at him surprised.

"Really?" he says hopefully but then adapts an ugly scowl. "Or is this some sick prank of yours and your obnoxious friends?"

James shakes his head. "I'll honestly try and convince her to at least recognize your presence and perhaps you can become…friends again." He pauses. "Lily doesn't think you're a bad bloke no matter what anyone says Snape. She is more convinced you're just making bad decisions."

Severus swells with pride. Well, not really since it is not much to be proud of. At least Lily does not think he is completely horrible. He wishes he had never been sorted into Slytherin.

"Anyway, I've got to get going," says James suddenly anxious. "I guess I'll see you around." He turns around, prepared to run off again, when he hears his name. Not his last but his first.

"Yeah?" he asks confused.

"Thanks." He swears he saw Severus smile slightly but it must have been the trick of the light because next thing he knows he is gone.

James takes one step outside and immediately wishes he had brought a coat with him. He shivers and knows Lily must be freezing if she is out here. He mutters _lumos_ and squints into the distance, vaguely seeing a thin figure in the far tree across the lake. He summons a sweater for her and breaks out in a jog to get to where she is. Even though he has not run long nor far his throat is still stinging since it is the end of January.

"Hey Lils," he greets in what he hopes is a somewhat cheerful voice.

Lily looks down, only just noticing him there, and groans.

"I should have figured you'd follow me out here," she mutters. "Is there any use in telling you not to call me Lils?"

"Nope," quips James, positive he sounds cheerful this time.

He sticks her sweater in his pocket and begins climbing up the tree. Once he settles onto a branch he looks at her. She is determinedly ignoring his gaze and looking below at the lake. He sighs.

"I ran into Snape on my way here," he says, not really knowing where he is going with this. He notices her body stiffen and that she seems to be listening to him closely. "And it got me thinking…we can't live our whole lives with petty school grudges, no matter how large or small they are. That being said…I think you should forgive him for what he said to you at the end of last year."

Lily looks up at him and he can see that she has been crying before he got here. Her gaze does not waver though and she stares at him like she has never seen him before.

"As much as I agree with you that I should forgive Severus, why are you of all people telling me to?" she asks. "I mean, you and Severus have been fighting constantly since we all met on the Hogwarts Express for the first time and you were angry with me over the holiday for protecting him. You have made it perfectly clear over the years that you never approved of our friendship and let us know it in the worse ways. Why are you the one to jump on forgiving him after all he's done to harm us?"

"Do you not want to forgive him?" James asks. He does not know why he is helping Severus and that is why he is evading the question.

Lily must have read his mind because she states, "You're evading."

"No, simply disregarding the question since it's irrelevant at the moment," says James simply. "You are also disregarding my _very_ important question." She stares at him for a fraction of a second longer before turning away and wiping her eyes.

"I do want to forgive him," she says softly. "I've wanted to forgive him ever since he uttered that last foul word. Even when I've been furious at him, I've found it difficult to _hate_ him like you and the other Marauders do." She wipes her eyes and James marvels how she looks beautiful even when she is upset.

"He was the one who told me about magic and our world. He was the first person who I had a connection with and made me feel like I wasn't a…well, freak I guess is an appropriate term."

"You're not a freak Lily," says James quietly, looking out at the lake. He had not realized how deep Severus and Lily's friendship had ran. It makes sense why she was so torn up after it ended. "Don't listen to what your sister thinks about you. In retrospect, she's the freak. She's just blinded by petty jealousy and she could be expected of no less –she's ordinary and you're special –"

"That's mean, James." He continues on though.

"It does not give her the right, however, to demean you the way she has, especially at her wedding in front of all of your friends."

Lily looks at him again and manages a watery chuckle.

"When did you become so philosophical?" she asks, and James shrugs.

"Maybe running into Snape and falling on my arse knocked some sense into me," he smirks and then sobered. "I don't know why I've acted like such an arrogant arse all these years. If I had known this was all it'd take to be able to hold a conversation with you and not get a sore throat afterwards…well, I would have done it a hell of a lot sooner." Lily smiles.

"I probably wouldn't have let you. It's only recently that I realized you weren't that…bad." She turns red and looks down at her feet that are swinging subconsciously. James looks at her sadly.

"It seems pretty rich coming from me but you do know that we need to talk about this, right?" asks James. Lily sighs and shakes her head.

"Well, you know I like you now," she says point blank. "I've liked you for a while now. It's only recently that I felt like…I don't know…like I _could_ l-love you."

James' heart swells so big that if Voldemort came up right next to him and killed him, he would have died a happy man.

"…But I couldn't ever go out with you," finishes Lily.

_Pop!_

Everything James has just been feeling disintegrates because of those final eight words spoken by the girl he knows he _loves_.

"What?" says James almost harshly. Lily sighs again.

"James, I've _intensely disliked_ you for the past _five and a half_ _years!"_ cries Lily. She feels cold all over but it has nothing to do with the fact that it is beginning to snow. "How in the world could I be falling for you after all these years? It's too sudden and…ridiculous. No. No, it's best if I just ignore these feelings and –"

"And what? And _what_ Lily? Just ignore me and everything we've shared over the past year!" shouts James. "Excuse me while I sound selfish here but what about _my_ feelings? You told me you may love me but you never stopped to consider how I feel and whether or not I'd like to give it a try!"

Lily does not get angry. She is sadder than she is angry. She has never felt so sad in her life with the exception of when her parents died respectively.

"I'm so sorry James but I just c-can't," says Lily, choking up. "No matter h-how I feel it doesn't matter." She pauses. "But for the sake of argument, let's say I ask you what your feelings on this are…"

James takes a deep breath. Now feels like as good a time as any to tell her the truth but he cannot. If she _truly_ loves him then she will know his feelings for her.

"Lily –" begins James. Stares at him, waiting for him to give her a reason to go against her better judgment and to go out with him. She just needs a reason.

James shakes his head and Lily's heart drops.

"If you truly love me then you'll know how I feel about you," he murmurs morosely. "You'll be able to feel it, Lily. If you haven't yet then I don't think you really feel what you claim you do."

It is at that moment that Lily feels warmth pressing against her chest. At first she thinks that she is just adapting to the cold but then the heat increases. It is burning against her skin like white, hot knives. Similar to the heat that the Cruciatus Curse gives but not painful.

She looks down at her shirt and notices the necklace she is wearing. It is the one James gave her only a few months ago for Christmas. It is glowing bright gold and tingling slightly.

She picks it up and looks at him.

"Flip it over," he whispers, barely audible.

She does as he instructs and gasps. The writing that appeared fuzzy a little over a month ago are now crystal clear. It is a message.

_Lily,_

_Clearly if you are able to read this message, you return the feelings I have for you. Whether you decide to own up to them is your choice but they are there._

_I love you, Lily. I love you more than anyone else in the world and I hope that you will finally give me a chance now that you feel the same._

_James_

She looks at James in shock, her eyes full of unshed tears and is surprised when she sees that his eyes are also dewy. He quickly brushes them away but looks at her unwaveringly.

"Lily –"

Lily shakes her head and leaps off the tree. She runs back to the castle, most likely to find another place to go off and think. James sighs and feels something lumpy sticking out of his pocket. He reaches in and realizes it is Lily's sweater and he that has forgotten all about it. He fingers with the material and as he lifts it up to his face, can smell the vanilla scent in it. Lily's scent. Lily's sweater. His one love Lily. Somehow, it all comes back to Lily.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

It still stings like hell…the Dark Mark that is. Severus has come back from his official initiation and as he observes his left forearm behind his closed curtains, he can see it is still burning red. He had expected nothing less from the Dark Lord. The man who loves and cherishes other people's pain is obviously intending to hurt him as much as his enemies. He is certain the initiation will forever burn in his mind as much as this mark is now permanently burned into his skin. The Dark Lord had captured some Witch whom he did not know and it was his job to torture and then kill this Witch. He hated it, not enough that he would complain though. Lily would be horrified if she finds out what he has done and that is why it is important to never speak of it if he does in fact get her friendship back. Some things are best kept secrets and this is one of those he will take to his grave.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	19. Not Just A River In Egypt and Discoverin

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 19 – Not Just A River In Egypt and Discovering _CLICKING_

Lily has taken to avoiding James at all costs for the past two weeks. She is actually becoming a master at it. She comes to meals after she knows he will be gone, she refuses to sit anywhere near him in classes and even went as far as asking Professor McGonagall if she could swap seats with someone in Transfiguration. She also opts to doing her homework in either her dormitory or the library seeing as he seldom steps in there.

"Lily, you do know how ridiculous this is, right?" asks Margaret wearily as Lily hides behind her chair when she thinks James is actually coming into the library. "Don't worry, they have Quidditch practice right now." Lily breathes a sigh of relief.

"I honestly don't give a damn how ridiculous it may or may not be," says Lily stubbornly, sitting back in her seat. "After what happened two weeks ago I could go for never seeing him again."

"You know that's not true," says Alice who is on Lily's left. "You finally return his feelings Lily, why don't you just give him a chance?"

"Because he could hurt me," she says timidly, and Alice pats her on the back. "Plus, it's a hell of a lot easier to go on ignoring him."

"Fair enough," says Margaret, dropping the subject. "Well you won't be seeing him tomorrow because we're leaving at ten o'clock in the morning. Professor Dumbledore said we could use the fireplace in his office to Floo there."

Lily nods. "He might as well offer up his office's Floo Network to the general public for all the use it gets."

The other two girls laugh and then notice something.

"Hey guys, where's Marlene?" asks Alice.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"_Sirius_," moans Marlene. She _did_ promise if they got out of planning Lily's birthday alive she would give him a present and Marlene _always_ keeps her promises.

Sirius reaches for his wand on his beside table and soundproofs his bed. He grins down at her and enters again.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"No idea," says Margaret thoughtfully. "I think she said something about visiting someone in their dormitory."

The three girls look at each other wide eyed.

"Nahhh," they say and then laugh again.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Where in Merlin's pants is Sirius?" asks James irritably. "He's late for practice and we can't practice without a second beater at hand!"

"Maybe he just held up?" offers Peter meekly.

"He's never late for practice though! He knows that I wouldn't hesitate to hex him to hell and back if he was!"

"He's probably offering his pants to someone else right about now," smirks Remus. James turns and scrunches his nose and Frank snorts, giving Remus a knowing look. Remus does not catch it, however, and turns to look at the castle approximately where the library is. He can see three figures seated by the window and stares at the one to the redhead's direct right.

"Whatcha looking at Moony?" asks James, trying to follow his friend's line of direction. Remus quickly averts his eyes from the library window and looks back at the ground.

"Nothing. Just thought I saw Padfoot," he lies hastily.

"Hey Remus, can I talk to you for a moment?" asks Frank. Remus looks surprised but nods and follows Frank over to an area where no team member is. James looks at the pair of them as they walk over there suspiciously.

"I know about you and Margaret," he says bluntly. Remus is taken aback.

"W-What?" he falters.

"I know about you and Margaret," Frank reiterates slowly and clearly. "Right before Lily's party a few weeks ago I saw you and Margaret…on the couch."

Remus blanches. "How much did you see?"

"Enough to never sit on that couch again," says Frank dryly. "It's pretty unfortunate too because that used to be my favorite one." Remus laughs uncomfortably.

"Did anyone else see us?" he asks nervously. Frank shakes his head.

"No, just me," he replies. "Don't worry though, I don't intend to tell anyone…not even Alice. I do have one question for you though." Remus nods. "Were you doing any of this before you broke up with Dorcas?"

"We weren't doing any of _that_, if that's what you mean," says Remus. He clears his throat. "That was the first time. We had shared a kiss or two though before." Frank nods.

"You know Remus, secrets like these have a way of getting out. They always do and they have a way of hurting more than one person."

"What do you mean?"

Frank gives him a look. "Come on Remus, I know you're not an eejit. I'm guessing you haven't told any of your friends about this judging by your reaction of me knowing?" Remus shakes his head. "I doubt they're going to be too pleased when they find out – _he lowers his voice_ – that two of their best friends have been getting it on without them knowing." He pauses. "They probably won't be too impressed that some of this was going on before you broke up with Dorcas. I could see something like this from Sirius, Lord knows he's probably doing it now, but you? This isn't you, Remus."

Remus sighs and says nothing since he knows Frank is right. He has never kept a secret from his friends longer than his Lycanthropy. Now, here he is keeping this from them for months on. It is just like how he started of Hogwarts and he hates it. However, he is in too deep now and cannot tell them without risking them dumping him.

"PADFOOT! Where the bloody hell have you _been_?" they suddenly hear James yell. Both Frank and he turn to see Sirius running down to them. His hair is disheveled and his Quidditch robes are crooked.

"Erm – I was a bit preoccupied," he says, straightening his robes.

"Yeah, we can see that by the lipstick on your lips," smirks Remus. Sirius instantly goes to wipe his lips and Remus laughs.

"I was kidding! I told you guys that's what he was doing." The other's laugh and Sirius glare at Remus.

"I'd say. You look like you had a battle with your robes and they won," snickers Paul Truman. Sirius glares at him and Remus jumps in.

"I don't believe you're in any position to judge him, Truman. Not after what Lily and I caught you doing with that Ravenclaw fifth year last week."

Sirius, Frank, and Peter roar with laughter at Truman's face but James studies Remus. He looks paler than average for someone who is a werewolf. It even seems like he has been having more sleepless nights than the few days out of the month. To what he is doing each night, James has no clue and is sure Remus will tell them if it is vital.

Remus catches James staring at him and sends him a questioning look. James just shrugs and blows his whistle, waiting for his team to gather around so they can finally start their much-needed practice.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Margaret watches the Gryffindor team practice from the seat directly next to the window. She can see Remus in the commentators box and the others zooming around high above him.

She does not understand why Lily is avoiding James. Sure, it is hard to be around someone you love but James most definitely returns the feelings and he is a great guy. Lily is just afraid of getting in too deep with someone she has openly despised for so many years in fear that they will revert to "their real self".

Margaret's gaze and thoughts go back to Remus. Even from the distance he is from her, she can distinguish the scars on his face from his monthly transformations. She does not understand why such good people have such unfortunate things happen to them but opts to thinking it makes them who they are to this day. She does not doubt that Remus would have still been a good guy without his condition but she does not know if he necessarily would be as cautious and patient with her and everyone else he interacts with. He is so gentle with her, especially when they made love over the past few weeks. He lets her go at her own pace and that is what is making her fall for him even more.

Yes, she admits it. She is falling for Remus faster _and_ harder than she ever imagined she could.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily sleeps dreadfully that night as well as the weeks before due to her excessive thinking of James and his necklace. She cannot stand it anymore and is about several notches close to having a nervous breakdown. He is all she is thinking about and she having to avoid him takes a lot out of her. She also has to deal with his staring at her in Transfiguration from her new seat. She is now sitting with Sirius and Marlene is sitting with James. Lily does not know if it is her imagination running wild but James seems to be whispering questions to Marlene and she feels they are about her.

When she had confronted both Marlene and Sirius about it they had just shrugged and said nothing, giving her the impression that she is correct.

So that is why on Valentine's Day, Lily wakes up with dark circles under her eyes, giving the impression she is deathly sick.

"Lily, you look dreadful!" gasps Alice.

"Gee thanks, that's exactly what I need to hear," says Lily sarcastically. Alice stutters an apology and Lily instantly feels bad for snapping at her. "No, it's okay, I know I look horrible. I haven't been sleeping for the past few weeks."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain messy-haired boy in our year, would it?" teases Marlene. Lily's eyes fill with tears and Marlene looks horrified.

"Oh Lily, I-I'm so sorry, I-I didn't mean to make you upset," she says hastily but Lily shakes her head.

"No, I'm sorry. I've been so up and down these past few weeks and have been taking it out on you lot," sighs Lily, wiping her eyes. She looks over at Margaret who has been silent the whole time and walks over to her, sitting down on her bed.

"Are you okay, Maggie?" asks Lily; using the nickname Margaret only permits Lily to use. Margaret nods, then hesitates, and then shakes her head. Lily hugs her friend tightly.

"It's going to be okay," whispers Lily so Dorcas, who is dressing and trying to eavesdrop, cannot hear. "I'll be with you the whole time, all right?"

Margaret nods again and gets up, pulling a black dress out of her trunk. She begins dressing and Lily goes over to do the same. Since she does not have a black dress like Margaret does, she takes a white skirt, yellow tank top, and blue sweater out. She concentrates with all of her power on what she wants and changes the color of all three to black. She smiles at the results and dresses too. Once she is done she goes into the bathroom and washes up: brushing her teeth, washing her face, and pulling a comb through her knotted hair. She comes back out to see Alice and Marlene whispering with Margaret.

"What's up?" asks Lily, making her way over to them.

They turn to look at Lily nervously.

"Dorcas got a note on her nightstand and took one look at it and darted out of the room," whispers Marlene.

"We were saying no good could come from it," adds Alice. "What do you think Lily?"

Lily muses for a moment before replying.

"If you are right in that no good can come from it, I think whoever sent that note is no friend of ours."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Dorcas has no idea how she is going to get revenge on Margaret for stealing Remus after all this time stalling. She does not even know if indeed Margaret and Remus are going out but she still feels the need to dispose of the person who she believes ruined their relationship. Dorcas is not one who is very good at coming up with good plans. In the end, they usually blow up in her face and cause more damage for her than good. So when she notices the note on her nightstand giving her an idea, she runs out of the room before anyone can question her on it. Not that she expects them to. It is not like they are on speaking terms.

She walks down the hall blindly and once she reaches the secluded statue of Barnabas the Barmy, she opens the letter and rereads it slower. It reads:

_Dorcas,_

_If you still want to get revenge on Margaret Smith and Remus Lupin, I have the perfect way for you to do so. All you have to do is meet me in the empty Charms classroom tonight at one o'clock. Make sure no one follows you and tell no one about this, not even Mary._

_DO NOT BOTHER TRYING TO FIND OUT WHO THIS IS. I HAVE PUT AN ANTI-DETECTING SPELL ON HERE SO NO ONE COULD DETECT THE HANDWRITING._

_Have a nice Valentine's Day!_

Dorcas rereads the last part several times before conceding that she has no clue who wrote this and that it cannot be a friend of hers. She sighs and stuffs the letter in her pocket, deciding to go with the plan and meet this unknown person at one in the morning. She makes her way down to the Great Hall only to be greeted by annoyingly, gooey couples wishing each other Happy Valentine's Day, reminding her of what she does not have thanks to Margaret.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Severus loathes Valentine's Day along with every other stupid holiday with a passion. It is sickening and all a load of rubbish anyway. Who honestly needs a day devoted to a million sappy couples giving each other roses and chocolates and kissing?

He has decided against going to Hogsmeade today since it is bound to be crowded with lovey dovey couples. These are not _his_ words but a derisive Avery's. He is upset though that Lily is not going to be here today. Rumour has spread that she is accompanying her friend – Margaret, he believes – to a funeral for her brother. That is one of the things that he loves about Lily. She goes out of her way for the people she cares about and even those whom she does not know. He has noticed that she has been less cold to him lately and has even gone as far as to smile at him occasionally in the corridor as they pass. He only wishes that it was he who had managed to get her to do this and not Potter. He cannot deny that Potter is not nearly as arrogant as he used to be and is certainly not as bad as Black still is. He loves Lily so much and can tell she loves Potter in return. He cannot do anything about it although he wishes he can just blow Potter off the face of the earth. Too bad he is technically in his debt.

It all comes back to why he hates Valentine's Day – a day that reminds him that he will be forever alone.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily has only been to a once funeral before. Her mum's had been brief and terribly sad but her father never had one since Bellatrix had disposed of his body in some way or another. No one else in her family has died or not that she can remember. If they had – like her grandparents – it was when she was little or before she was born. So the fact that she is heading to her second funeral today for someone she does not know is unnerving and to be quite frank, frightening. She has no idea what she will see at a Wizarding funeral and she just hopes that the eyes of Margaret's brother will be closed instead of open like they would have found him. She figures it would be a million times harder to look into the eyes of someone who has just died than to just see their peaceful face in the form of them sleeping. They are sleeping though for forever and eternity.

"Are you okay, Lily?" asks Margaret. "You look worse than I feel."

Lily smiles weakly and nods. "Just a little nervous. I'm fine though, I promise."

"Don't be nervous. My brother would have loved to meet you. Unfortunately…" she trails off.

"It is under dreadful circumstances," Lily finishes for her. They fall into a tense silence until Lily, distracted, almost runs face first into someone turning the corner.

"Hey Lily," greets Marc. "Oh, you two are heading off already?"

Both girls nod and Lily turns to Margaret.

"I'll meet up with you. I just need to speak to Marc for a moment," she says. Margaret nods and continues on her way to Professor Dumbledore's office. Lily turns back to Marc, smiling sadly.

"I'm truly sorry that we couldn't have our Hogsmeade date today," she says sincerely. "I'm just glad we got to have our date before I leave."

"Me also," says Marc nodding. "I'm just upset you'll be spending _Valentine's Day_ at a funeral."

Lily smiles. "I know but I couldn't let Margaret go alone. It means a lot to her that I'm going."

"What about Marlene or Alice?" asks Marc bitterly. Unbeknownst to him, his Metamorphed eyes flash from the fake blue to red and then his old brown. Lily notices this and her brow furrows.

"What was that?" she asks.

"What was what?"

"You know. You're eyes just went from blue to brown," she says, racking her brain for an answer. Her eyes widen. "Are you a Metamorphmagus, Marc? Wait a second…Marc…Marc Davis was also a Metamorphmagus who had brown eyes. But it can't be…"

She seems to speaking more to herself than Marc now and he stands staring at her incredulously. How could anyone deduce that much just by a change in eye color?

"Please tell me you're not Marc Davis," pleads Lily. "_Please_ tell me you didn't just do this so we would date again!"

Marc shrugs. "Guilty." He closes his eyes and transforms into his old self. Unlike Marc Jacobs, Marc Davis has sandy brown hair and brown eyes. He is somewhat taller and has tanner skin.

Lily gasps and starts as someone else rounds the corner.

"Lily?" whispers a voice. It is the very person she had hoped to avoid at all costs today.

James walks up to the pair of them, comprehension dawning on his face.

"_Jacobs_," he snarls. "Or should I say Davis? So you never did disappear did you? You just took the form of someone different."

"That's right, Potter," sneers Marc. "See? I told you this will all work out in your favour. The little Mudblood is all upset now and she'll probably turn to you."

James is about to retort when Lily holds up her hand, holding back the tears in her eyes.

"Not now, James. I really have to go meet Margaret. Promise me that you won't get in a fight or a duel?"

James looks like he is about to protest but then nods. Lily smiles at him slightly for the first time in weeks and runs off without sparing a second glance at Marc. James rounds on him once Lily is well out of earshot.

"How _dare_ you?" snarls James. "How _dare_ you do this to Lily you bastard!" Suddenly he lets his temper get the better of him and he no longer cares who hears him. "HOW THE EFF DARE YOU HURT LILY, YOU WILL NEVER BE HALF AS AMAZING AS SHE IS. YOU DON'T DESERVE HER! I HAD MY DOUBTS THAT YOU WOULD GO THROUGH WITH HURTING HER BUT YOU DID IT ANYWAY YOU BASTARD! LILY COULD HAVE DONE SO MUCH BETTER! YOU ARE NOT THE EFFING GOD YOU WANT PEOPLE TO THINK YOU ARE SO STOP LYING. YOU ARE A CRUEL, SELFISH BASTARD WHO HAS NO POINT AND SHOULD BURN IN HELL!"

The whole time Marc has stared at him with mingled surprise and amusement.

"Are you done now?" he asks calmly. This boils James' blood even more.

"YOU DON'T GET IT DO YOU? NO, OF COURSE NOT! YOU HAVE NO SYMPATHY IN WHAT YOU DID TO LILY! YOU EFFING MOST LIKELY TORE HER UP AND SHE TRUSTED YOU, YOU GOD DAMN SELFISH BASTARD. YOU DESERVE TO DIE ALONE! YOU LYING, DECIETFUL, SELFISH, DEFINETLY NOT LILY WORTHY BASTARD! YOU SHOULD JUST GO EFFING DIE FOR ALL ANYONE CARES!"

Marc is still staring at him and says quietly, "I always cared about Lily." This enrages James.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE DON'T DO THIS TO THEM! DON'T LIE STOP PRETENDING TO BE ALL CARING FOR HER YOU EFFING BASTARD! I'D LOVE YOU EFFING AVADA KEDAVRA THE HELL OUT OF YOU, BASTARD! HOW_ DARE_ YOU! I SWEAR I WILL HUNT DOWN AND KILL YOU NO MATTER WHAT, EVEN IF THAT MEANS I'LL HAVE A LIFE SENTENCE IN AZKABAN, AND STRANGLE YOU BASTARD! YOU UNSYMPATHETIC BASTARD! YOU CAN'T BE TELLING ME YOU CARED ABOUT LILY, YOU BASTARD YOU ARE NOWHERE NEAR AS GOOD ENOUGH TO DESERVE HER YOU EFFING BASTARD! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO GET SECOND CHANCES AND YOU SURE AS HELL ARE NOT WORTHY ENOUGH OF STAYING IN THIS SCHOOL BASTARD! YOU DESERVE EXPULSION AT THE LEAST! SHE WAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE BETTER THAN YOU AND YOUR NOT WORTH IT TO ADMIT IT COWARD. YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST HAVE COME OUT AND TELL HER THE TRUTH BASTARD!" His anger is making him barely comprehendible but Marc continues to listen patiently as James goes on and on.

"Ugh, you fucking bastard," finishes James. He takes a deep, even breath and regains his composure before walking away without a second glance at Marc _Davis_. Sometimes words speak louder than actions.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Meanwhile, Lily is running up to Professor Dumbledore's office frantically, her head spinning. She can hear James' yells even when she reaches the stone gargoyle and then realizes she does not know the password.

"Erm –" she falters.

"No password, no entrance," says the one gargoyle.

"But I have to attend a funeral!"

"You are Lily Evans?" asks the other gargoyle.

"…Yes?"

"Well why didn't you say so? So sorry for the hold up," says the first gargoyle. They both jump aside and she takes the escalating steps two at a time until she reaches the landing nearly out of breathe. She is about to knock on the door when it opens, apparently without assistance, and reveals Professor Dumbledore's office where there stands Professor Dumbledore, himself and Margaret.

"Sorry I'm late, I – err – got a little held up," murmurs Lily.

"Quite all right, Miss Evans," says Professor Dumbledore, doing his traditional examination that makes her feel as if she is being x-rayed. He seems to know something she does not and turns to Margaret.

"Well, you two best be on your way," he says solemnly. "Please give your parents my wishes and tell them I'm sorry I could not make it. I have just become aware that I have to discuss using our 'inside voices' with Mr. Potter and as you can see, I have some other work to attend to." He motions to the memos piled up on his desk. Lily blushes as the first part and then raises an eyebrow at the last and he nods.

"Yes, the Minister has been sending at least fifty of these by the day. It's quite repetitive actually but necessary in these times. I'm sorry, I'm rambling. Off you go!"

The two girls laugh and Margaret steps into the fireplace.

"Jonathon and Margaret Smith's Manor," she says loudly and clearly. The green flames erupt and she disappears with them.

Lily gets in next and with one last fleeting look at Professor Dumbledore, repeats the words Margaret has just said before being swallowed by the green flames.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

All goes well at the funeral; at least as well as any funeral can go. Margaret's house is magnificent in the way that she is a Half-Blood and the flow of magical and Muggle items in the rooms work so well together. They live in Muggle London, where Lily had gone on occasion with her parents, right in the heart of it. Lily, however, has been too distracted the entire time to take it all in. She has been having a hard time erasing James' not so muffled yells from her brain.

"_SHE WAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE BETTER THAN YOU AND YOUR NOT WORTH IT TO ADMIT IT COWARD. YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST HAVE COME OUT AND TELL HER THE TRUTH BASTARD!"_

As Lily now reaches her dormitory, she steps next to her trunk and begins undressing into some comfier clothes. While she does this she keeps repeating this sentence in her head. It is barely comprehensible but from what she understands, does James really think that much of her?

Dealing with Marc is a whole other scenario. She cannot _fathom_ how he can be so coldhearted and trick her into dating him again. She should have known better than to go out with someone she barely knew. Well, they had hardly gone out, only to the ball and a couple other times but she still likes him as a friend. _A friend…_

She likes James more than just a friend. She knows she loves him or else she would not be able to see the message on the necklace. She cannot believe though that after all these years she is beginning to fall for him. If she likes him so much now where have these feelings been before?

_Buried under all the annoyance and the grief he caused you_ says the voice in the back of her head. Lily has to admit that this is true. James has caused her a lot of pain and aggravation over the years and it is a hell of a lot easier to look at all of his faults than own up and notice his good qualities. For instance, he can be sweet, charming, caring, compassionate…_STOP it Lily_ she scolds herself. For Merlin's sake, what about all of his _bad_ qualities? Like…

He is stubborn – but that is when he wants to protect her or fight for her…oh well, he is also arrogant – only because he likes to impress me…oh! He is a bullying toerag also – oh, but he stopped bullying people after the incident by the lake last year.

_Face it Lily, James isn't the same stuck-up boy you met on the train five and a half years ago. He's grown up and so have you. Now, it's time to own up to your feelings towards him._

_Or I could just stall because it'd be a lot easier. Yeah, let's go with that!_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The Dark Lord is planning something and Severus knows it.

While in one of his study rooms perfecting his latest Potion, a tawny owl comes in with a scroll for him. He knows it cannot be from the Dark Lord, himself because he uses eagles and only communicates for "special" occasions, such as initiation. Even then he sent a messenger.

Confused on who could be sending him a letter, he opens it and scans over it, disgust evident in his face.

The letter is from Bellatrix, not masking her obvious satisfaction in the latest attempt on Lily's life. Another attempt is to be done on Easter where the Potter's are hosting a party and the Dark Lord has insider tip that Lily is on the guest list. He figured the Dark Lord also intends to wipe out Potter and make it a clean deal but he is not certain and does not dare to question his Masters authority.

Severus of late is having difficulties deciding where his loyalties lay. The Dark Lord has taken it upon himself to lead Muggle and Muggleborn massacres and Severus is certain another one was coming up. Severus does not enjoy these outings mainly because these people are like Lily and he knows that if she knows what he is doing it will wipe every possibility of friendship out the window. Not wanting to risk that, he has avoided as many outings as possible; leading both Bellatrix and her not so newly wed Rodolphus Lestrange to question him on where he stands.

Personally, he is rather regretting joining the Dark Lord in the first place and tries to remember the attraction to him at all. It is when he thinks hard that he remembers. His whole life his father has abused both him and his mother and joining the Dark Lord would give him a taste of power and perhaps a father like figure whom he could look up to, much unlike his biological one. For some reason though, joining the Dark Lord is not all it cracked up to be especially since it has only made him miserable and ruined his relationship with Lily. _Lily_…

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Dorcas makes her way to the abandoned Charms classroom a little before one o'clock in the morning. She is only led by the light emitting from her wand and hopes that Filch and/or Mrs. Norris are not on this floor.

She reaches her destination to find the door locked.

"_Alohamora!"_ she whispers, pointing her wand at the lock.

The door clicks and opens. As soon as she enters the door closes behind her and she is disarmed. Her wand flies out of her hand and the light goes out.

"Sorry. It's a necessary precaution," says a woman's voice. It is disguised, however, and Dorcas cannot see anyone around her.

"Who are you?" asks Dorcas, looking around feeling quite stupid.

"I can't tell you that," replies the female and Dorcas' can see an outline behind the teacher's desk. "I can, however, help you get back at Margaret and Remus."

"How?" asks Dorcas apprehensively. "I don't want to cause too much trouble."

"Oh, but I have the perfect blackmail."

Dorcas' eyes widen and she has a feeling the mysterious person can see it.

"Continue."

A light falls on the desk but only enough that still Dorcas can only see the silhouette of the mysterious person. The girl pushes an envelope forward that is bulgy.

Dorcas eyes the envelope nervously and rips it open. As she takes out the contents of it she gasps.

"Not what you thought you'd be seeing now, did you?"

Dorcas shakes her head to indicate that the assumption is correct. She cannot believe the blackmail this person has collected and it is not just of Remus and Margaret.

_This person has multiple pictures of Remus, Margaret, Lily, James, Sirius, and Marlene!_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The next morning while Lily is taking a bite of a chocolate scone the owl post swoops in. Lily's owl Rosie (named after her mother) swoops down and lands next to her coffee. Rosie sticks her leg out to indicate the annoyingly tight _Daily Prophet_ stuck to her talon and nibbles on Lily's bacon.

"Thanks Rosie," says Lily affectionately while untying the newspaper. The bird hoots in response and gently nips her fingers in response before flying back out to get some much-needed rest. Lily looks to her right and notices that James has gotten an owl as well.

"I hate your owl, Owl, Prongs," says Sirius irritably. "He scratches my hands every time I'm next to you. It's like he doesn't trust me."

"That's probably because of the time you put Dragon Dung in his water bowl," James snorts. The girls gape at Sirius and the other Marauders laugh.

"You named your owl, Owl?" asks Marlene being the first to recover.

James scowls. "I was two, give me a break."

"Why didn't you just change it later?" asks Peter.

"It was too late by then and that would just confuse him!"

Everyone laughs again as he opens the note.

"It's from my mum!" exclaims James. "We're hosting our annual Easter ball and all of us are invited!"

"Excellent!" cry the girls except for Lily, and the guys laugh. Lily bites her lip. Another Holiday at the Potter Manor? She is not sure she likes the sound of this. Anything can happen…just look at Christmas. She cannot very well decline though.

"What day does Easter fall on this year?" asks Alice.

"It falls on the fifteenth of April," replies Remus.

"Wow, it's coming early this year," comments James, rolling up the scroll again.

Everyone is silent for a moment.

"Are we really talking about the calendar?" snorts Sirius, and the others burst out laughing. It is only when Lily gasps do they sober up and turn to look at her.

"What's wrong?" asks James concerned.

Her lower lip trembling, she motions to the front page of the _Daily Prophet_. They all gather around Lily to read the headline. It reads:

**MUGGLE AND MUGGLEBORN MASSACRE: BELIEVED TO BE THE WORK OF YOU-KNOW-WHO**

"Merlin, this can't be anything good," mutters Sirius. James smacks him over the head.

"Stop it you two!" whispers Remus feeling very much like their mother.

**Believed to be the work of You-Know-Who and his followers, a Muggle and Muggleborn massacres have taken place in Muggle London late last night.**

"**I could hear explosions and flashes of light from across the street," said a frightened Muggle who was later Obliviated. "I believed them to be fireworks."**

**Over one hundred Muggles were killed and the parents of several Half Bloods and Muggleborns were killed. Approximately seventy people were injured. The names of those killed or injured are not yet released to the general public.**

"**We regret the turn of events and have sent our top Aurors to hunt down Voldemort's supporters," said Minister of Magic, Charlus Potter. "We are aiming to first get his supporters behind bars and then we will deal with Voldemort himself. You are only as strong when you have more people helping you." The Minister refuses to answer questions afterwards but insider tip has revealed that he is to meet with the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore later today on discussion of what to do next. Albus Dumbledore refuses to come in for questioning (more about Albus Dumbledore on page 7)…**

"Merlin, dad's going to be up to his nose in making sure those Muggles don't remember anything," says James grimly. He is the first to sit down again and puts his head in his hands.

"That's unbelievable!" gasps Margaret. "How could anyone be so coldhearted?"

"Wait, Margaret. You're parents live in Muggle London!" gasps Lily. As if on cue, several black owls come flying through the still open window.

Many students, mainly those in their first or second year, look up puzzled since they had not gotten the newspaper. Even they know that normally owls do not come this late.

Margaret's lower lip trembles as an owl lands in front of her. She unties the letter with fumbling fingers and gasps as she opened it. Lily, knowing what the letter is for, begins crying for her best friend and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. James, who does not like crying girls, especially Lily, puts his arm around her and Lily, being too preoccupied to notice, does nothing to push him away.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Severus watches from the Slytherin table as James wraps his arm around Lily's shoulder. He clenches his fist under the table. _He_ should be the one comforting Lily now. However, there are so many reasons that is not possible to do, one of them being that he was part of the massacre.

He was not part of the death of Margaret Smith's family but he had seen their bodies in the Dark Lord's Headquarters afterwards. He had been walking around multiple bodies while he spoke to his followers.

It breaks his heart to see Lily so torn up right now and wishes that she had better than Potter to comfort her. Hopefully if he can reconstruct their friendship _he_ will be able to fill that role instead.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Are you okay, Margaret?" asks Remus meekly.

Margaret crumples the letter in her fist and runs out of the Great Hall with Remus chasing after her. Lily is about to follow but James holds her back.

"Sometimes people need to be alone to mourn," he whispers in her ear. She feels his hot breath on her neck and feels the oh-so familiar chills run down her spine.

"She's my best friend!" says Lily hotly. "Plus, you didn't leave me alone when my mum died!"

"And now Remus is there for Margaret like I was for you," replies James patiently. "Just let him handle it for now and you can talk to her later."

Lily nods reluctantly and calms down enough to finish her breakfast. Why does this have to happen to Margaret? She just lost her brother and now her parents too? There is one thing for certain though; this is by no means the beginning of the end. In fact, they have plenty of reason to believe that the war has not even begun yet.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Margaret, wait!" pleads Remus, running after her. She ignores him and turns a corner. Unfortunately, he does not see which of the many doors she went in. Fortunately, being a werewolf does have its advantages and he is able to hear better than anyone in the whole school. He passes every door, listening carefully until he hears someone crying from behind one.

He tries to open the door but he finds it locked.

"_Alohamora!"_ he whispers. The door clicks but still will not open up. She must have barricaded it.

"Margaret, stand back!" he shouts in.

He is greeted with no response and hopes that she took his words to heart.

"_Bombarda!"_

The door breaks into thousands of pieces and Remus moves aside the desks that Margaret had put in front to block it. He looks through the dust and sees the Margaret is unharmed in the corner to his relief. Unfortunately, he can tell the scars inside of her are still there.

"_Reparo_," he murmurs, pointing his wand at what used to be the door. It fixes itself easily and he turns to face her. "Margaret?" he says apprehensively.

She looks up, hearing his voice, but then looks down again, barely concealing the tears in her eyes.

Remus moves across the room in a daze, having seldom seen Margaret cry in the past. She seems so strong and incapable of crying that he was under the impression it would take a tank to break down her wall. Obviously losing her parents right after her brother is a pretty strong tank.

"It's okay to cry you know," says Remus quietly, sitting down next to her. "It doesn't mean you're weak or anything."

"I-I can't just go around breaking down randomly," says Margaret, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand. "We have classes and NEWTs are next year. Teacher's are practically working us to the –"

"While all that's true, they're not going to be angry with you if you need a day to mourn. You are, after all, human and they wouldn't think badly of you because I'm fairly certain they've lost family members and friends too."

"I guess you're right, but my parents wouldn't want me to be miserable and I'm fairly certain they'd want me to keep moving forward."

"Doesn't mean you can't do it at your own pace," reasons Remus. Margaret nods and hugs Remus.

"Thanks for the advice Remus," she says. "And for the record, anyone would have to be an eejit to not hire you when we're out of Hogwarts."

Remus smiles weakly. "They'd have their reasons."

She shrugs and pecks him on the cheek.

"They would be stupid reasons. I'm going to go up to the dormitory quickly and wash up before class starts," says Margaret, standing up hastily. "See you later."

Remus nods and watches as she dashes out of the room. What is he getting himself into?

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Are you okay, Margaret?" asks Lily in Charms later that day.

Margaret nods. "Yes, I'm fine." She turns back to the blue bucket that she is trying to turn green. Lily turns back to hers too and does the spell with ease.

"Can you help me? I can't quite get it the right shade of green," says James. He had sat down next to her in class and before she could move all the seats were full. It is like he planned it, which he probably did, knowing him.

Lily sighs. "You have to flick your wrist more. You're doing more of a jab."

"Yeah, well, Transfiguration is easier for me than Charms," says James defensively.

Lily glares at him. "James, if you want help you have to be able to accept criticism or you'll get no where in life."

James rolls his eyes. "So, flick you say?"

Lily cannot help the smile that is threatening to over take her lips. She nods.

"Yes, you go more like _this_," she says, grabbing his wrist and flicking it for him. "You have to concentrate."

With help from her, he flicks his wrist and the originally blue bucket changes to the desired green.

"Oh, well done, Mr. Potter!" squeaks tiny, Professor Flitwick. "Looks like as long as you're working with Ms. Evans, you're in good hands!"

Lily looks down at where her right hand is still grasping James' wrist and pulls it back, blushing, as if she has been electrocuted. If James is in any way embarrassed, he does not show it. Perhaps being rejected by her so many times in public has made him immune. In fact, he looks more amused than anything.

She does not have long to dwell on it though because the bell rings and they rush off to lunch.

"Hey Smith, I heard about your parents," sneers Avery as the eight of them arrive in the entry hall. Margaret tenses up and turns to glare at him. The others look at him and his friends in disgust. "So sorry to hear about your 'loss' but they really do make lovely floor decoration for Headquart –" He does not finish though because at that moment Remus walks up to him and punches him square in the jaw.

The girls gasp in surprise and the other Marauders look at Remus shocked and pull him back before Avery can act on his anger.

"You'll pay for that one Lupin," snarls Avery. "The Dark Lord doesn't like _animals_ who don't respect their superiors."

Remus glares at him and is restrained by the others so he does not lash out again. He looks wild.

Avery, Mulciber, and Severus walk into the Great Hall, the latter looking over his shoulder at Lily as he goes. She just shakes her head and joins the others in crowding around Remus.

"Your hand!" cries Margaret. His hand is now purple and swollen from where it connected with Avery's jaw. "You need to go to Madam Pomfrey!"

"You can fix it, can't you Lily?" he asks her. She nods and takes out her wand. She places the tip gently on his hand and mutters an incantation. It looks like nothing happened to it at all.

"You needn't have done that Remus," Margaret continues upset. It is hard to tell what she is more upset over: Remus punching Avery and getting hurt or Avery's comment on her parents. So _that_ is where those bastards are keeping them? They are dishonouring them by disabling their family to properly bury them.

"I know I didn't have to," he says grudgingly as they walk into the hall. "I _wanted_ to. He was being a right, foul git."

Margaret smiles slightly as the eight of them sit down and begin eating their lunch and Lily's wonders if there is more to Remus and Margaret's relationship than meets the eye.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	20. Only Half the Battle and Missing

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 20 – Only Half the Battle and Missing

"So are you in?" asks the shadow at their next meeting.

Dorcas stares at the outline of the person.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Hardly."

"Who _are_ you?" she asks. The outline smiles discreetly.

"I'm afraid I cannot reveal my identity at the current time."

"How do I know I can trust you? For all I know, you could be a Slytherin."

"Now you know that's not possible," replies the shadow. "How would I have gotten into the Gryffindor common room to take a picture of Remus and Margaret?"

"You could have enlisted an accomplice," suggests Dorcas. The figure shakes her head.

"You're missing the point. I have perfect blackmail to destroy Margaret and get you back into Remus' arms. Why aren't you jumping for the opportunity?" Dorcas glares at the figure.

"What's in it for _you?"_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Are you okay, Lily?"

Lily starts. She is sitting in the common room, attempting to do her homework. She is fighting a losing battle, however, in that her mind keeps drifting elsewhere.

"Oh, hullo Remus," she says, looking up to see Remus towering over her. He looks down at her concerned. "Yes, I'm fine. Just…distracted."

Remus raises an eyebrow. "Anything you'd care to talk about?"

"Not with you," she says jokingly. He laughs and sits down anyway in the chair next to her.

"You were thinking about Charms class today, weren't you," he states.

Lily groans and nods. "Not just that though. I can't get James bloody Potter out of my head."

Remus smiles sadly. "Then why are you being so resistant towards him? He's been moping around our dormitory and the common room thinking he's done something wrong by loving you."

Lily sighs and looks over to where he is sitting in the Marauders famous corner. It is right near the fireplace where they plan most, if not all, of their pranks.

Indeed, James does look fairly "mopey" and seems to be ignoring Sirius' attempts to cheer him up. Why is he so upset though? She has rejected him so many times before! It is not like this is anything new…

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Come on Prongs, let's pull a prank on ol' Snivelly!" suggests Sirius, trying but failing to cheer James up.

"I promised Lily I wouldn't prank him anymore," says James sorrowfully. "What did I do, Padfoot? She seems to increased ignoring me tenfold since Charms class!"

Sirius looks at his best mate sadly.

"Mate, why are you letting her get you down? You've never let a rejection to her affect you this much."

"This time is different, Pads. Sure she's rejected me in more ways then none but this time I know she returns my feelings. She's only doing this because she's afraid."

"How could you know that?" asks Sirius curiously.

"I remembered back to when I was in a coma," explains James simply. "I remembered you talking over me in the hospital wing saying that Lily 'practically loves me' and I remembered her talking over me in St. Mungos saying she might _love_ me right before I woke up."

Sirius' eyes widen. "Does Lily know this?"

James nods. "I told her."

"When?"

James looks at Sirius sheepishly. "The night of her birthday party. That's why she ran out in a hurry and I ran after her."

Sirius rolls his eyes and groans.

"Are you for real, Prongs?"

"Who says '_for real'?"_ asks James disbelievingly.

"People who are unimpressed by their best mate's lack of brains!"

"Hey!"

"It's true!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"APPLES!"

"ORANGES!"

"CHASER!"

"BEATER!"

The pair lunge at each other and begin wrestling on the ground much to the common rooms amusement, all except for Lily and Remus'.

"Oh Merlin, the last time they started wrestling they almost –" begins Remus.

"Revealed your furry-little-problem," finishes Lily. "Yes, I remember I got dragged into it too. Are you going to separate them?"

"I'd better before they say something they're going to regret."

"CHOCOLATE!"

"MINT CHIP!"

"ME!"

"YOU!"

"HA!"

"DAMN YOU!"

"Guys, break it up!" shouts Remus over their yells and squeals. They ignore him, however, and continue rolling around on the ground.

"LILY!" (Lily's eyes widen in horror).

"MAR –"

"_Protego Totalum!"_

Before Sirius can finish what he was about to say the two of them are flung to opposite sides of the room and into the wall. They both land with a sickening thud.

"What the bloody hell was that for, Moony?" calls Sirius from the other side of the room.

"Padfoot, you great prat, you should be thanking me!" yells Remus. Sirius looks at him confused before he realizes what he almost said. He nods at Remus gratefully. Meanwhile, the entire common room has broken into whispers about what just happened.

"-Just like last time-,"

"-What did he almost say-?"

"-James said Lily last time-,"

"-Wrackspurts shall take over the world-!"

James groans as he rubs his head too. Great, more rumours to go around the bloody castle!

He looks over to where Lily had been sitting, expecting her seat to be empty, and is surprised to see she is still there staring at him. He looks back at her, his gaze unwavering, until she finally breaks the link binding them. She packs up her bag and climbs the girls' dormitory stairs without sparing him a second glance. He sighs. When did everything become so complicated?

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Marlene asks Sirius once the common room has begun buzzing with talk once more. He nods and follows her out of the common room and to the corridor just beyond it.

"Are you bloody mental?" hisses Marlene.

"Oh well, I'm doing fine, thanks for asking," says Sirius dryly. Marlene narrows her eyes at him.

"You almost revealed everything!" she cries. "Do you really want the whole school to know what we've been doing together?"

"No, of course not!" lies Sirius. In fact, he has been thinking about it a lot lately and he does not enjoy keeping this secret from his friends. They have been asking him just this morning if he is seeing anyone and he had to lie and say no one. He wants to be able to show his girlfriend off to the world – not like a trophy but because he cares deeply about her and wants others to know it.

"You're lying," states Marlene, narrowing her eyes. "You don't want this to be a secret anymore."

"So? Do you want gossip to be centralized around us? Do you want a bunch of girls harassing you?"

Marlene rolls her eyes. "I'm not afraid of your pathetic fan club."

"You don't know what they're capable of."

"I'm not blackmail worthy!"

"Oh really? So what we've been doing isn't blackmail worthy?" Sirius asks.

"You're right it is," agreed Marlene. "No one knows about it though. You _haven't_ told anyone _have_ you?"

"Of course not! Who would I tell?" defends Sirius.

"Oh I don't know, the _other_ Marauders?"

"NO! I'VE BEEN LYING TO THEM FOR MONTH'S OVER THIS BLOODY ESCAPADE!" shouts Sirius finally losing his temper. People are coming out of the common room now to see what all the commotion is about and Marlene is the first to notice this.

"Just don't let anyone know," she whispers and takes off in the other direction before anyone can realize she was there.

"Padfoot, what are you doing out here?" asks James, disentangling himself from the crowd.

Sirius turns to look at him, just realizing they are in a crowded corridor. He just shakes his head and walks back into the common room and up to the boys' dormitory.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The aftermath of the latest Muggle and Muggleborn massacre leaves Severus with the burning feeling of bile in his throat. The look that haunts Lily's face since she found out her friend's parents have been murdered is heartbreaking. He can literally _hear_ his heart snapping in two inside of him.

This is why the same evening that James Potter and Sirius Black are wrestling, not that Severus knows this, and he is in one of his many private Potion study rooms. He is brewing some new Potion he had found in the Restricted Section and has just finished reading a letter from the Dark Lord himself.

The letter had been demanding Severus' attendance at the Potter's Easter ball. It is coming up this April 15th and if he does not attend he will be most definitely executed.

There is something though that Severus sees in the Dark Lord's eyes when he looks at him. He cannot put his hands on it though. Is it respect? Or interest? Or perhaps even…pity. Yes, the latter seems most likely. The Dark Lord seems to know everything about each of his followers and he must know about his family and how dysfunctional it is.

Whatever look the Dark Lord has in his eyes, however, it is not important right now. All that is important is that he made an appearance at the ball and that he makes sure Lily _is not_ there.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Nothing makes sense to Lily anymore. Everything used to be so cut and dry. She used to be able to say that James Potter is an arrogant toe-rag and that would be the end of it. Now, however, although he is still arrogant in his own way it is not as obnoxious as it used to be. In fact…it is kind of – attractive. Maybe it is time to finally own up to her feelings towards James. The prospect of doing so scares the hell out of her though. In a second he can realize that he does not really like her and chase after another girl. She could very well be just another girl whom James had managed to make fall for him.

It makes bile rise in Lily's throat to picture James snogging another girl besides her. She vaguely remembers him snogging Lisa at the ball and that reminds her of Marc. She has not told her friends about what had happened with Marc in fear that she will begin crying over it. She will not give Marc the satisfaction in knowing he got to her. Marc has been so sweet to her and she cannot believe she has been such an eejit and did not realize whom he truly is.

Lily rolls over on her side and tries to empty her mind so she can fall asleep and forget about this all. There is only one flaw in this plan. James is now appearing in her dreams as well.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily wakes up the next morning irritable and with not bags, but _trunks,_ under her eyes. Her trunks are carrying trunks as she trudges out of bed to take a shower before breakfast. She lets the hot water hit her back like always and can feel her tense muscles loosening up. She turns the water off eventually and feeling a little more awake, changes into her robes and walks down the stairs, making sure not to disturb anyone. As she reaches the common room she is surprised to see Jessica Potter sitting next to none other but Sirius Black.

"What are you guys doing up so early?" asks Lily suspiciously. Sirius looks up, only noticing her now.

"Oh, erm – I just needed some advice," is Sirius' lame excuse. He turns back to Jessica. "Thanks for listening." She nods and watches sadly as he walks back up to his dormitory. As soon as he is out of earshot, however, Lily asks, "What was that about?"

Jessica shrugs. "He just needed advise and claimed the guys couldn't help him with this one."

Lily nods and can tell by the finalization in her tone not to push the matter any farther and not to bring it up to Sirius.

"So how have you been?" asks Lily, sitting down next to her. "I haven't really seen you since Christmas at your home."

Jessica laughs lightly. "Yeah, I know. Us fifth years have been buried with so much work I'm becoming a social reject. You lot would know about that from experience."

Lily laughs too. "Becoming a social reject is the understatement of the year. More like whenever we'd get hit by sunlight we'd melt."

Jessica laughs and then looks at Lily seriously.

"I heard you had some excitement over your birthday bash."

Lily groans. "Who told you?"

"Oh, everyone knows something is up but they just don't know what," says Jessica evasively.

"It was Sirius wasn't it?"

"You said it, not me," grins Jessica. "But yeah, Sirius did mention briefly that you and James have been – erm, for lack of a better term – walking on thin ice."

"Another understatement," they both say at the same time. They both laugh and lean back against the edge of the sofa.

"That was really none of his business to go around talking about."

"He's worried about you two, especially James," sighs Jessica. "I've noticed too, he hasn't been the same. The twinkle has left his eyes."

"I don't know where we stand anymore," sighs Lily. "Everything was so simple this time around last year! Now…I don't know, everything's complicated."

Jessica nods sympathetically. "I can relate."

Lily sits up straight. "I'm so sorry, I've been talking so much about myself. I haven't even asked what else is going on in your life!"

"No, it's fine," says Jessica airily. Lily laughed.

"That sounds like the tone that doesn't want to admit they're having boy troubles. Trust me, I would know."

Jessica smirks. "Well…I know for sure I like this guy and we've talked a few times or more but…I don't know, he's probably the biggest player in the whole year."

Lily smiles sympathetically. "Well, I'm honestly in no position to judge but I will ask you one thing. Are you ready to take the risk of getting involved with someone like that? I mean, speaking from experience that is, getting involved with someone like that is like diving headfirst into an arena with fifty enraged dragons."

Jessica smirks again. "Nice analogy. To answer your question though…I'm not really sure. My heart is telling me one thing and my head is telling me something different."

"When did you start liking this guy?"

Jessica smiles sheepishly. "Back in October of this year. I don't even truly know how it happened. One minute I'm hating him and the next minute – BOOM! – I'm thinking about him constantly."

"So I'm guessing you guys have some history?" says Lily interested.

Jessica shrugs. "Not really but he pissed me to the point of suicide back in our first, second, and the beginning of third year."

"Merlin, what'd he do to get on _your_ bad side?" asks Lily. "You're practically _everybody's_ friend!"

"Agh, that's not relevant. The point is –" begins Jessica.

"Are you guys talking about Jason Jackson?" asks James, coming down the stairs with that arrogant smirk on his face. "Merlin, I remember that song he made up with your name in it your first year." Jessica glares at him. "I almost ran face first into him on my way down here."

Jessica blanches. "W-Was he anywhere near the staircase?"

James shrugs. "Hell if I know. Why does it matter?"

Jessica just shakes her head. She turns back to Lily and says, "Thanks for listening and I'm sure you'll be fine." Her eyes twinkle as they travel towards James and then back to Lily. She bids them both goodbye and runs back up to the fifth year girls' dormitories.

"Why do I have the feeling that I'm missing something?" asks James, staring at where Jessica has just disappeared.

"'Cause you usually are," replies Lily airily. She sighs as James sits down across from her. "Why do you have to make everything so bloody hard James?"

"Aw love, admitting it is only half the battle," says James with a boyish grin. "It's acting on it that makes it all the worth while."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The remainder of February passes without much happening in the castle. Every once in a while there will be a day where everyone is buzzing about what was said in the _Daily Prophet_ about the war. Other than that, everything is basically status quo. That is why when the Eve of March 27th comes around, the common room is far more hectic than usual.

"Come on Prongsie, what do you want for your birthday?" asks Sirius. The four Marauders are in the library because they know that no one would think to look for them there.

"Nothing special," responds James adamantly.

"But you're turning seventeen!" pleads Sirius. "There's got to be something that he wants."

"Lily Evans," snorts Remus and Peter in unison. James glares at them.

"No. I'm working on getting over Lily," says James simply. Sirius, Peter, and Remus look at him incredulously.

"You're doing _this_ again?" cries Remus.

"Doing what again?" asks James

"Going through this whole denial that you're going to get over Lily-bean," replies Sirius. "You did it once before and it didn't last long at all."

James scowls at him. "Yeah, well I've given her a million and one chances to own up and admit she cares about me but now it's getting ridiculous. I give up and I don't care what you guys say, I mean it this time."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Hey, where's James?" Lily asks Alice. The two of them, Frank, Marlene, and Margaret are sitting in their alcove.

Alice shrugs and continues snogging Frank. Lily rolls her eyes and then turns to Margaret.

"Where else? Probably with the other Marauders," says Margaret. She seems troubled by this, however, but Lily does not dwell on it. "Would you two knock it off?" she implores Alice and Frank.

They ignore her, however, and continue sucking each other's faces off. Lily grins and leans down to whisper:

"Perhaps one day when you're snogging Remus, you'll understand."

Margaret adapts a very goofy grin on her face and Lily laughs. She gets up to go search for James in hopes that she will find him alone. She has decided that she might as well admit it now. The fact that she is holding inside the fact that she loves him…and he knows it – the only problem is she still does not know if she is ready for another relationship. I mean, a relationship with James Potter, the second biggest player in the school, how can she be so blindsided? She knows he has been after her for all these years and even if she believes that he was just in it for the thrill of the chase, how could she not realize that eventually she _could_ fall for him? He was not going to be goofy looking forever. He was never ugly but whenever he had smirked like he does now, it did not have the same effect. Now it is attractive, not goofy.

Finally coming to her decision, she decides that she will tell him how she feels and if he still wants to go out with her, she will give it a try. It cannot hurt to try. Chances are they will not even last long and she will move on.

Lily has been so absorbed in her thoughts she did not even realize where she was heading until she ends up in front of the library. She shrugs and walks in, not expecting to find James or any of the Marauders other than possibly Remus, but figures she might as well get her mind relatively at ease before she speaks to him.

" - I've given her a million and one chances to own up and admit she likes me but now it's getting ridiculous. I give up and I don't care what you guys say, I mean it this time."

Lily's heart freezes in her chest. He has done it. He is actually over her. He…he…

"Do you hear something?" asks Remus, breaking the silence.

Lily holds back her gasp and runs out of the library quickly and quietly. The last thing she needs is for James to see her crying again.

Little does she know that he did in fact see her. Not her face but her red hair trailing behind her and it serves as a nametag for her. He groans, realizing that she has heard what he said and judging by the pace she is running, is not happy about it.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily runs down the corridors, cursing at herself for being so stupid. She should have owned up to her feelings weeks…months…_years_, really, ago. If she had then James and her might have been something but now there is no "her and James".

She turns the corner and runs into someone. She falls down and looks up to see that it is Severus.

"Oh, hey Severus," she says, getting up and brushing her robes off. He looks down at her in surprise and then smiles.

"Hi – Lily, what's wrong?" he asks alarmed. She looks at him confused and then realizes that she must have been crying and not have noticed it. Her eyes do feel rather itchy and puffy.

"Oh…nothing. Really Sev, I'm fine," she says, falling back on the old nickname she had for him.

His heart soars at the use of it but still looks at her concerned.

"What did Potter do?" he growls, and Lily crosses her arms.

"Why do you always assume something is James' fault?" she asks defensively. "How do you know I'm not just having a bad day?"

"Because it usually _is_ his fault!"

"I find it strange that you're insulting him especially considering that it was _he_ who told me to talk to you again."

Severus' fists curl into tight balls and he adapts an ugly scowl. Why does she have to bring that up? That was where their relationship went wrong the first time though: He never wanted to hear what she had to say if it was not good.

"Anyway, what are you doing?" she asks him.

"I was headed towards the library to return a Potions book I borrowed," he replies, choosing not to mention the contents of the book. "I'm glad I ran into you though – not literally of course. I needed to tell you something."

She waits patiently for him to continue and he takes a deep breath.

"You can't go to the Potter Manor for Easter," he says without preamble. Lily raises her eyebrows in surprise.

"Pardon?"

"You have to stay here for Easter," Severus says anxiously, and Lily narrows her eyes. He shifts uncomfortably and feels his heart beat faster as she surveys him. "…I – Easter's in the castle are very enjoyable –"

"You're lying," she states, shaking her head. "Perhaps not about how nice Easter is here but that's not the reason you want me to stay. How about you tell me the real reason you don't want me to spend Christmas at the Potters?" The idea of spending Easter away from James sounds very appealing, however.

"I…Why would you even want to spend more time with Potter anyway?" asks Severus though he knows the answer. He is mostly stalling to evade the question.

"I couldn't tell you," answers Lily honestly. "I'm mostly going at this point because my friends are." This peaks Severus' interest. "But that's not the only reason, if at all, that you don't want me there. Voldemort is planning something, isn't he?"

Severus, being by this point a fairly skilled Occlumens, puts up his barriers and Lily sighs.

"If you're not going to tell me why you don't want me to go that's your choice but I have other places I need to go. Particularly _away_ from the library." Merlin, she never imagined hearing herself say that.

She sidesteps him and has reached the end of the corridor when he calls her name – his nickname for her.

Lils.

Lily turns around, her expression sad and sees that his is also. She can tell that he misses the old days just as much as she does.

"What?" she asks.

He seems to be struggling on the verge of speech. Finally he says, "Potter isn't good for you."

Surprisingly, this does not anger her like it used to. Probably because she has been questioning this very thought the past few days.

It take her a moment to respond but when she does she whispers, only loud enough for him to hear:

"I think that's for me to decide." She turns around again, knowing that their conversation is over. She hurries back to the common room, leaving Severus standing in the middle of the corridor feeling no more accomplished than he had felt before speaking with her.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I think Lily and James will finally be able to get together," says Marlene excitedly.

"I don't know, James has been acting kind of odd lately," comments Margaret. "What if he's gotten over her?"

"No, he wouldn't be over her! James loves Lily whether he admits to it or not," argues Alice. "Now whether she knows it…"

They are interrupted by a streak of red coming through the portrait hole in a hurry.

"Lily? Why are you back so – _Lily?_ What's wrong?" asks Alice anxiously.

Lily mumbles something incoherent. She is no longer crying but it is evident that she has been crying.

"Sorry?" says Margaret confused. She moves over so Lily can sit down and she is about to until she notices the Marauders walking towards them. She shakes her head violently and drags the three girls up to their dormitory.

"Do you think she heard you?" Sirius asks James. The latter gives him a look and does not bother responding.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Did something happen with James?" asks Marlene once they arrive upstairs.

As she walks into her dorm she takes deep, calming breaths and tries to process everything that just happened. She is not going to turn into one of those girls' who are weepy over boys, least of all James Potter. They have not even been together for Merlin's sake!

All four sit down on Lily's bed. Thankfully Dorcas is not in the room currently.

"It's funny, we haven't seen much of Dorcas lately," comments Lily. Perhaps she can stall for a while so she can collect her thoughts. She should have known her friends would never fall for that though.

"No, not really," says Margaret darkly. "And no changing the topic Lily! Who'd you see? What happened? When did you go? Where'd you go? And why'd you go?"

"I saw the Marauders and then ran into Severus," replies Lily.

"What happened?" asks Alice. Then verifies, "With both."

"J-James said he was over me," says Lily her voice shaking.

All Margaret and Marlene gasp but Alice just rolls her eyes.

"He says that all the time!" exclaims Alice as Lily glares at her. "Then after a few days of pouting he's back to following you around like a lapdog."

Lily shakes her head. "Not this time. He sounded adamant when he said it. I wouldn't be surprised if I wake up to find he Disapparated to the other side of the world."

"Only one problem with that," says Marlene sadly.

"What's that?"

"Tomorrow's his birthday so I doubt he'd be in any rush to change hemispheres."

Lily groans and falls face first into her pillow.

"Why? _Why_?" cries her muffled voice. She sits up and looks at the other three slight manically. "Anything else I need to know? Is hell freezing over tomorrow?"

"Possibly," says Dorcas, coming into the room with a grin on her face. "Depends on your perspective of things." She walks over to her bedside and grabs an envelope from her nightstand and walks back out.

Once she closes the door behind her the talking resumes.

"That was…disconcerting," says Marlene quietly, and the others nod.

"What happened with Snape?" asks Margaret, changing the subject.

"He 'warned' me not to go to the Potter Manor for Easter," says Lily grimly. "I'd probably take him up on that offer if it weren't for the fact that you lot are going."

Alice looks troubled by this though and says so.

"Why would he warn you _not_ to go? I know he hates James but this seems far past that…You don't think that Voldemort is planning another attack, do you?"

Lily bites her lip. "I _had_ thought that but when I asked him he did not say anything else."

"Voldemort _is_ a skilled Legilmens," says Marlene slowly. "Perhaps Snape is worried that he will realize that you were tipped off and he will pay the price."

"But warning me in and of itself is fairly risky."

"There's no way of knowing," says Alice darkly. "We'll just have to see how the evening plays out."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"What am I going to get James for his birthday?" whines Lily as they each take their showers that night. "I can't get him _nothing_ if you all are getting him something!"

"Get him something Quidditch related," suggests Margaret.

Lily shakes her head. "I did that for Christmas! Agh, can't I just give him a card that says 'Happy Birthday, go screw yourself'?"

"Miss Evans, I am shocked at you!" says Alice in a very Professor McGonagall-like voice. "You should know that James' only screwing partner will be you!"

Lily throws her pillow at Alice with a scowl on her face.

"That is _never_ going to happen!" cries Lily. "So don't even think about it. In fact, don't even think about thinking about it!"

Alice smirks and climbs into bed. "Fine. You can come up with a gift for Master Potter on your _own_ then!" She grins evilly and closes her curtains. Lily pouts and sits down on her bed just as Dorcas walks in grinning like a madwoman.

"What's got you so happy?" asks Margaret. "Did you just get laid by some poor bloke?"

Dorcas turns and smirks at her. "Make all the cracks you want Smith but let's just say by tomorrow morning justice _will_ be served and the good part about it is, there's _nothing_ you can do about it."

Margaret glares at her as she undresses and gets into bed.

"Good night!" says Dorcas sweetly. She follows Alice's example and closes her curtains.

"Something wicked this way comes," mouths Lily to Margaret. Margaret nods and sits down numbly. Looks like they will be getting their first taste of a frozen hell tomorrow.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Wake up Prongsie!" yells Sirius loudly. He begins jumping on James to wake him. "Wake up Prongsie, it's your birthday!"

James groans. "I'm going to tell you one time and one time only Padfoot. Get. The. Bloody. Hell. Off. Of. Me."

"Aw Prongsie, it's your birthday and I really don't want to wake you up the _other_ way!" pouts Sirius.

No response.

"Ah, who am I kidding? Like hell I don't! _Aguamenti!"_ he shouts.

The spout of water hits James smack in the face and he squeals like a pig about to be thrown into the oven.

"Padfoot, I'm going to kill you!" he screams, jumping out of bed. Sirius, however, has the upper hand in that he has left already and he does not need glasses like James does. Without thinking to grab them, he races down the stairs and crashes into a wall.

"Slick," snorts Sirius. He helps James up and summons James' glasses. "Next time it might help to use these before you go barreling through the common room," he smirks, handing them to James.

James glares at him and accepts the glasses then dries himself off with a useful spell his father had taught him.

"James! Sirius!" calls Alice, running down the girls' dormitory still in her pajamas.

"What's wrong, Alice?" asked James concerned. After all, it is not every day that Alice comes running in the early morning looking for them.

"We have a problem."

"Well thanks, it'd be really annoying if you hadn't been specific," says Sirius sarcastically. Alice shoots him a disgusted look and he backs down.

"Where's Remus and Peter?" she asks.

"Still asleep I reckon," snorts James. "Can't see how considering all the noise we made just a few moments ago."

"Yeah, I could hear it from _my_ dormitory," replies Alice. "That's not the point though. Lily, Margaret, and Marlene are _missing!"_

"_What_?" cry both boys.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	21. An Expedition and Karaoke Night

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 21 – An Expedition and Karaoke Night

"_What?" cried both boys._

Alice nods. "I woke up this morning and all their beds were empty, including Dorcas'…_Dorcas_…"

"Why'd you go, _Dorcas_…" says Sirius in a mysterious voice similar to Alice's.

Alice rolls her eyes but looks concerned. She recounts Dorcas' threat from last night. When she finishes James is pacing back and forth in front of her.

"This is not good," he murmurs. "No, this is not good at all."

"No shite," says Sirius. James glares at him and he promptly shuts his mouth.

"You don't think this has anything to do with -?" begins James and he stops dead. He shakes his head. "But its been so long!"

"James? Why are you talking to yourself?" asks Alice.

James ignores her and continues pacing.

"No, whomever took – no, they _couldn't_ know!"

Alice sighs and turns to Sirius. He too looks preoccupied in his own thoughts. She snaps her fingers in front of both of their line of vision and they jump.

"What's with you too?" she snaps. "Three of our friends are missing and we need to find them ASAP!"

"ASAP?" asks James.

"It's a commonly used acronym meaning as soon as possible," explains Sirius. "I'm surprised you've never heard of it."

James glares at him. "I know what it means you nit!"

"DON'T CALL ME A NIT!"

James and Sirius go back and forth bickering and Alice decides to break it up before the wrestling begins.

She puts her thumb and middle finger in her mouth and whistles loudly. Both boys cover their ears in pain and glare at her.

"It had to be done," she says calmly. "Sirius, go wake Remus and Peter, that is if they haven't been awoken already…"

Sirius nods and with one more playful, withering look at James, he runs up the stairs.

"James, you're going to have to tell me how you guys manage to sneak around the school because it may help now," says Alice patiently.

James fidgets uncomfortably. He cannot just tell her the secret of how the Marauders get around.

"James, this is serious. Marlene, Margaret, and Lily may be in serious danger right now. Do you honestly want to have to live with yourself if something happens to Lily? And don't even try denying that you love her because I know you do and so do you."

James shakes his head. Then he says weakly, "It just hurts to love her, you know? It's easier to pretend that I really don't."

Alice smiles sadly. "I know Lily. I've lived with her for the past five and half years and I know that she's flawed. She's incredibly hardheaded and confused when it comes to any feelings she has on you. James, you've waited five and half years. Can't you wait a little longer?"

James gulps and nods. "Wait here," he croaks. He runs up the stairs after Sirius.

Alice can hear some arguing from above them consisting of three different voices. She assumes it is James, Sirius, and Remus. Peter seems to just sit back and enjoy the power his friends have.

They come down the guys' dormitory stairs, all four of them, dressed and James with a cloak and spare piece of parchment in his hands.

"All right, we don't have time for a long, drawn out speech on how amazing we are by obtaining these Magical items but we have times for brief introductions," says Sirius. James, Remus, and Peter nod.

"The Cloak was given to me from my dad when I started at Hogwarts," explains James. "It's an Invisibility Cloak and has been our best friend throughout all of our pranks."

"The Marauders Map, recently developed," introduces Peter.

"Is that -?" asks Alice in wonder.

"Dumbledore," smirks Sirius. "In his study."

"Pacing," adds Peter.

"He does that a lot."

"So you mean this map shows -?" begins Alice.

"Everyone," says James.

"Everyone?"

"Everyone," repeats James.

"Where they are," says Sirius.

"What they're doing," adds Peter.

"Every minute," says Remus.

"Of every day," finishes James, and Alice laughs.

"Brilliant," she murmurs. "So do you think we'll be able to find the others on here?"

"As long as they're on school grounds," replies James. "The map doesn't show Hogsmeade or the forest – only the passages."

"Which I believe is a major flaw on our part," comments Sirius.

"I told you that if you wanted all those passageways, some things would have to be eliminated!" exclaims Remus. "Now stop being a drama queen and let's look for them on here." Sirius scowls and looks on with the other four.

"Snivellus," he growls. James rolls his eyes and Remus sighs. "You know he still has his suspicions about you being a –"

James smacks Sirius over the head and gives him a "what the hell?" look, indicating to Alice. Alice shrugs it off.

"I know that Remus is a – _werewolf_," she whispers as the common room is becoming more occupied by the minute.

"Yeah I know. Margaret told me that you and Marlene knew too," says Remus. James does a double take.

"_Margaret_ knows?" gasps James.

Remus nods. "She told me that day we were in that old warehouse waiting for Dumbledore."

"How come you don't seem surprised by this?" James asks Sirius suspiciously.

"Remus told me briefly after you slipped into the coma. The evening that Margaret and Dorcas –"

"_Anyway_, does anyone see them?" intervenes Alice. They all scan over the map and shake their heads.

"Where could they be?" wonders James worriedly.

"Well, I doubt the forest seeing as most know that's where Voldemort has a majority of his meetings," ticks off Remus. "We're about the only one's who know about the passageways that lead to Hogsmeade…"

"What about the Room of Requirement?" asks Peter meekly. All four look at him and it is James whose eyes light up.

"Pete, you're right! Merlin, I can't believe we never thought to put _that_ on there!"

"You thought the map was hard to make as it is, how would we manage to put a room on that's only _sometimes_ there?" asks Remus logically. Sirius waves it off.

"Come on, let's go!"

The Marauders and Alice run to the seventh floor corridor.

"Just one problem," says James.

"What's that?" asks Sirius.

"If they _are_ in fact in there, wouldn't the room be locked?"

Sirius groans and Remus nods.

"Let's just hope that they didn't think that far ahead," he says. "Erm – I need to find Lily, Marlene, and Margaret?"

The other shrug and begin pacing back and forth.

"_I need to find Lily, Marlene, and Margaret_," thinks James hardly. "_I need to find Lily, Marlene, and Margaret…I need to find –"_

"Prongs!" calls Sirius. James opens his eyes to find a door now materialized in front of him.

"Cross your fingers," says Alice. James looks at her oddly. "Never mind."

Remus opens the door to reveal a darkly lit room with several armchairs. There is a fireplace but it remains dark and ashy. However, there is no sign of anything else in the room. The Marauders and Alice groan.

"Well, they're definitely _not_ here," says Peter, stating the obvious. Remus rolls his eyes.

"Wait, guys. There's a note on the arm of this couch!" says Alice excitedly. She picks it up and the others hastily gather around her.

_We figured you'd look here and we were right,_

_for what you found is darkness not light._

_Try looking in another place where no one goes,_

_unless you're not willing to meet your foes._

"This is _not_ good," says Alice frantic now.

"This can only mean one thing," says James.

"What?" asks Peter, slow on the uptake. Remus sighs, a worried look in his eyes.

"Lily, Marlene, and Margaret have been taken to the Forbidden Forest and whomever took them must know that Voldemort is known to meet there."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So what do we do now?" asks Alice.

"Well it's obvious isn't it?" says James incredulously. "We go to the Forbidden Forest and rescue Lily, Marlene, and Margaret."

"We could be killed!" squeaks Peter horrified at the thought.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Wormtail is right Prongs," says Remus seriously. "We're going to need help and we're going to need to plan this out. We're no use to them dead."

"We don't have _time_ to plan it out and get help, Moony!" cries James, stamping his foot like a five-year-old. "We need to act _now!_ Whatever happened to the spontaneous Marauders who never plan _anything_ out?"

"He's got a point," agrees Sirius.

"No he doesn't!" argues Remus. "This isn't some schoolboy prank James! We're not pranking Snape or any of the other Slytherins here! This is life or death and I think living is more preferable!"

"Mark my words, those Slytherins are probably in that forest as we speak so in a sense it's _just_ like pulling a prank," retorts James.

"Their '_master_' is _also_ in there who could kill all of us with a swish of his wand!"

Sirius, Peter, and Alice watch the arguing go back and forth like a Quidditch match.

"Okay, how about this. Since when are _Marauders_ afraid of anyone -?" begins James.

"They can be if it means not being suicidal!" snaps Remus hotly.

"We're Gryffindor lions too! Could you list me the qualities of a Gryffindor?"

Remus sighs. "'You might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart, their daring, nerve and chivalry set Gryffindors apart,'" he says, quoting the sorting hat.

James nods. "Exactly."

Remus sighs again. "Fine. _If_ we do go alone though, Prongs, you have to swear that you're not going to act suicidal _especially_ if Voldemort is in the Forest today."

James nods. "Let's go!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The forest is silent except for the slight rustle of the leaves. There is minimum light coming in, giving them no idea what time it is. Seeing as there is no light leaking in though they know that they must be deep in the Forest. Also knowing that, they know that Voldemort may be near them. That, being their central worry, leaves them disconcerted as they walk across the hard forest floor.

"Who are you?" asks Lily for what seems like the thousandth time that day. She feels like a broken record.

The person whom she is referring to ignores her. She turns to her companion who is also concealed in a cloak.

"Are you Death Eaters?" tries Lily. This gets her captors attention. Their heads snap up and if Lily could see their eyes she would have sworn she is being glared at.

"I would never join You-Know-Who," snarls the leader. It is the first comment she has made and Lily now knows it is a female.

"Really? Well by the way you kidnapped us you two should get together for tea sometime to discuss and compare schemes," retorts Lily.

Margaret nudges her and gives her a look that says 'stop talking now!'

Their captor clucks her tongue and turns to her companion.

"Take the other two," she orders. "I'd like to speak to Evans _alone_."

Her companion nods and jerks up Margaret and Marlene. She unties them from Lily and retie them to each other, disabling them the opportunity to run away. They walk deeper into the forest leaving Lily alone with her captor.

"Lily Evans," sighs the captor. "Lily, Lily, Evans."

"Are you going to give me the reason you captured me and my friends in the dead of night?" asks Lily impatiently.

Her captor cackles, sending chills up Lily's spine.

"I will in a due course," smirks the captor. "First, however, I'd like to make a compromise."

"A compromise," states Lily. "Why do I get the feeling I'll be the one with the raw deal and you'll be the one benefiting?"

Her captor smirks. "I guess because you're smart Evans. Too bad that won't matter here since we're playing by _my_ rules. I know more than you think about your _relationship_ with James."

Lily blanches. "You're l-lying." Her captor laughs again but shakes her head.

"Nope, not lying. I have enough evidence to make your life a living hell. All I need is to figure out when and how to do it."

"That seems like a lot of work yet you're still bragging about how much you know," says Lily coolly. With a hint of desperation in her voice she asks, "_How_ much do you know?"

"Enough." Saying no more, she hands Lily a pamphlet of some sort. Lily takes it hesitantly, as if afraid it will blow up, and flips through it. Her eyes widen.

Inside the pamphlet are pictures of her and James. It is obvious the pamphlet is not done yet due to its empty pages.

Lily tears it up and burns it. Her captor just laughs.

"You didn't think that was the only copy did you?" she smirks. "How stupid do you take me for? No, I have hundreds waiting under my bed, locked in my trunk, in my room."

"Why are you doing this?" cries Lily. "Why are you –?"

"LILY!" shouts a male's voice.

"So much for being subtle," mutters another's. Lily's upper lip twitches a little. Only a little.

James runs into the vicinity with Remus, Sirius, Alice, and Peter trailing behind him out of breath.

"Why do you never listen to me?" asks Remus irritated.

"I do. I just decide which comments to disregard and which to listen to," teases James. Peter snickers, Sirius let out a bark of laughter, and Remus just rolls his eyes. They turn back to the cloaked captor.

"Who are you?" asks James shrewdly.

The captor smirks. "That's for me to know and for you to find out in due course." With that, the captor sweeps away out of the forest and closer to Hagrid's hut, leaving James wondering why that voice seems to familiar.

They watch her leave and wait a few more minutes in case she comes back. When she does not James and Remus both offer a hand to help Lily up. She ignores both and gets up on her own.

"Marlene and Margaret are further back in the forest with the companion," says Lily quietly. Sirius and Remus perk up and follow Lily's indication of the general direction. Peter trots along behind them.

"I'm going to go too, are you alright?" Alice asks concerned. Lily nods and gives her a small smile. Not completely convinced, Alice takes this and runs off with the others.

"Are you okay?" repeats James, looking down at her concerned.

"I'm fine," she replies briskly. She begins walking back the same way as their captor. Taken aback by the sharp tone in her voice, James hesitates but then follows her.

"Did I do something?" he asks confused.

"In a manner of speaking," is all Lily said.

He is silent for a moment as if expecting her to say something. When she does not he asks, "Care to tell me what it was?"

"Nope," she replies.

"Well, how am I supposed to make it better if you don't tell me what I did –"

"Hush," she says suddenly, stopping dead in her tracks.

He falls silent and the two of them stand there in the middle of the forest. It is then that James hears it also. The sound of twigs cracking.

"You don't think –" he begins but Lily cuts him off.

"DOWN!" She pulls him to the ground as a flash of purple light soars over their heads. If they had not dropped it would have hit James in the face.

"Thanks."

"Now's not the time to worry about thanking me," she says briskly. "We have to –"

"You're not going anywhere," snarls a voice above them. They look up quickly and see a hooded figure there. At first James thinks it is Voldemort but realizes that this person has a less raspy voice.

"We were just –" begins Lily but he cuts her off.

"Intruding." He yanks the two of them up and ties them together with a wave of his wand. "Walk."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sirius, Marlene, Margaret, Alice, Remus, and Peter are on their way out again. The person who had been holding Marlene and Margaret fled the second she realized her boss was gone.

"Hold it," says Remus suddenly. The other four freeze and look at him confused. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" asks Sirius. Marlene hushes him. They listen. "Bloody hell."

"That sounds like –" begins Margaret.

"The roar of a giant," says Remus grimly. "We have to –" He is cut off by a high, female scream. He pales considerably and looks at the others horrorstruck. "That sounds an awful lot like –"

"Lily," gasps the others.

"That's the general area her and James were too," says Marlene terrified. "We have to –"

"_Get Dumbledore_," Remus says sternly. "We are _not_ going to go barreling in on Merlin knows what like James insisted we do here. It is in their best interest to get him."

"I agree with Remus," says Alice determinedly. "Come on, we're wasting time that Lily and James don't have if they really are in danger!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily and James are brought into a clearing full of no less than fifty Witches and Wizards, all dressed in black cloaks and silver, pointy masks.

Death Eaters.

That is not all though. As her eyes begin better adjusting to the light change, she realizes that what she thought were tree trunks are not that at all but are the legs of _giants_.

"Well, well, look who decided to wander into the forest," cackles a female voice. Lily recognizes it as Bellatrix's and tightens her grip on her wand. Noticing this, their captor Disarms both her and James leaving them very much defenseless. James glares at him.

"I don't suppose you'll be telling us the reason you brought us here," says Lily angrily.

"Lily, calm down," whispers James. She ignores him though and looks at who she _knows_ is Voldemort.

"Tell me _Voldemort_, what exactly _are_ your plans?" she continues. James closes his eyes and the entire group is silent. It is almost as if they have turned all the sound off.

"You _dare_ call him by his name, you filthy Mudblood?" shrieks Bellatrix. "Grendel! Attack!"

The one giant, coincidentally the largest and most fearsome one, lets out an almighty roar and swings at Lily. She lets up a petrified shriek and her and James drop to the ground again.

The giant named Grendel is about to strike again when it is frozen by none other than Voldemort.

"Simmer down Bellatrix," he says coldly. "We want the Mudblood and her Bloodtraitor boyfriend in one piece when we –"

"We're _not_ dating," snaps not Lily, but James. Lily, as well as the rest of them, look at him in surprise. This is the first time he has truly spoken out.

He, however, only has eyes for Voldemort. The latter is now sneering at him.

"Like it matters! You people never learn, do you? You love, and love, and what does it get you?"

James says nothing and Lily chances another glance at him. She can see his jaw working furiously and wonders what he is thinking. Despite how peeved she is at him right now, she would give anything to know what he is thinking.

"Bring them to the cave," says Voldemort dismissively. "We have other matters at hand to discuss and cannot afford listeners." He pauses and everyone waits for him to continue. "You bring them, Avery."

One of the cloaked followers disentangles himself from the group and yanks the two of them off the ground roughly. Lily cringes at the feeling of his hand on her arm.

"Let go of her," growls James once they are away from the group. Avery smirks.

"Why? Jealous that you can't feel her up Potter?" Lily blushes furiously and glares at the back of Avery's head.

James' eyes are burning bright now and he attempts to sock Avery but Avery beats him to it.

"I will not be caught off guard like your mate Black caught me," he snarls. "If I had not been I could have easily fought back." James lets out a derisive snort but Avery now has his wand trained on James. "Give me a reason Potter and I swear I'll do it."

James is vaguely reminded of the train ride earlier this year when he said the same thing to Severus. He says nothing and the three of them continue on to this aforementioned cave.

"Get in." Avery pushes the two of them into the cave. It is dark and smells of fungi. Not an ideal place for a human being to be unless they are unconcerned about their health.

"You foul, little –" James begins but he never gets the chance to finish. Before he can say what exactly Avery is, Avery, himself closes the cave entryway by shifting a rock in front of it. All light that had previously been filling the cave is long gone and they are cast into darkness.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Come in."

The six Gryffindors push their way into Professor Dumbledore's office and hurry across the room to him. He looks upon all of them in surprise, as though he has not had so many guests at once in a long time.

"Dear me, what do I owe the pleasure of so many guests?" he asks. He surveys them more carefully and notices their frantic expressions. "Please, take a seat."

He waves his wand and several more seats materialize so all of them have their own. None of them sit, however.

"We need you to come to the Forbidden Forest with us now, sir," implores Remus. Professor Dumbledore looks surprised.

"And why might that be Mr. Lupin?" He looks at them more closely. "Where are Lily and James?"

"We fear they're in grave danger, Professor," Margaret replies before Remus can. Professor Dumbledore's gaze shifts over to her, the twinkle in his eye when he looks between her and Remus. "There was a set-up, you see. Marlene, Lily, and myself were taken in the middle of the night by someone in the school and brought to the forest." Professor Dumbledore now looks extremely grave and unsettled. "At some point this morning the leader separated Marlene and myself from Lily but then the others found her and she sent them off to get us. We were heading back when we heard what sounded like a roar of a giant and then a scream that sounded like Lily's."

Professor Dumbledore is now on his feet.

"You said this person who took you was from inside the castle?"

"Yes, it was a girl. She sounded familiar but none of us could place a name to her voice."

"Very well. Let's go."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"HELP!" yells James, pounding on the rock. Lily watches as he tries to shift it unsuccessfully by force and then by wandless magic.

"It's no use James, we're stuck in here for now," sighs Lily. He glares at her.

"I'd appreciate a little more support and a little less negativity," he says coolly. It takes her aback and she averts her eyes from his. He sighs and glares angrily at the boulder blocking their entrance and exit.

She looks up when she senses him sitting down next to her but then looks away again.

"You heard me the other day in the library, didn't you?" he says quietly. She flushes profusely and says nothing so he takes it as a confirmation. "Moony was right."

"About what?" she asks confused, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"About me being a prat. I shouldn't have said that where anyone could hear me."

"So it's true then?" she whispers. "It's true that you're over and done with me?"

James does not say anything and although it is not the case, she also takes his saying nothing as a confirmation.

"What were you doing there anyway?" he asks, not realizing that she misinterpreted his silence.

She feels her eyes fill up with tears against her will and wipes them quickly.

"I –"

Suddenly, light pours into the cave and nearly blinds the two of them. They get up hastily and squint to see who is at the entrance.

"The Dark Lord has ordered you to return," says the voice of a Death Eater neither of them recognize. It is a high, female voice and is dull, emotionless. "Here." She throws them their wands respectively and they both catch them in unison.

She walks out again and without looking at each other, they follow in her wake.

It is not long before they are back in the clearing and although they were only in the cave for what felt like a brief time, the sun is already at its highest point in the sky, showing that it is midday.

The entire group is now gathered in a circle with Voldemort in the middle. As he lowers his hood, Lily lets out a little gasp or horror. He is more ghastly than she remembers and wonders, with a wrenching heart, whether that was the last face her father saw before he was killed.

"Lily Evans," murmurs Lord Voldemort. His voice sends chills down her spine and she tenses up (**A/N: Just imagine how Voldemort said 'Harry Potter…the boy who lives…come to die'. That's what I was thinking of when I wrote this**).

"What do you want?" asks Lily, her voice lacking emotion. James looks at her and sees her eyes are also lacking the light they usually carry. His insides burn with anger at Voldemort for being the reason they are no longer shining brightly.

Voldemort turns to face James, a sneer on his lips and James knows that Voldemort knows exactly what is on his mind. Not amused by this Wizard attempting to penetrate his mind, he thinks dryly, "Fuck you."

Lord Voldemort's sneer turns into an ugly scowl of disgust and revulsion.

"Lord Voldemort does not appreciate that," he says, and his followers look at each other in confusion. He turns back to Lily. "I have a compromise to make with you."

Lily looks at him in disgust. What could the man who murdered her parents have that she would desire in any way?

_This ought to be good._

"You are remarkably talented for a Muggleborn, Lily Evans," he says slowly, keeping the attention of all those around him. "You have already once defied me and Lord Voldemort does not underestimate the magical power that lies within your veins, even though it was your Muggle mother whom died for you."

Lily narrows her eyes at him. He had better get to his point soon…

"Lord Voldemort values bravery and loyalty in his followers…"

_No…he can't be…_

"That being said. I would like for you to consider joining our ranks Lily Evans." There are murmurings in the clearing now. Clearly, Lord Voldemort did not share this with his followers before now. "I can make you an extraordinary Witch, far beyond your wildest dreams…"

_Like hell –_

"…Together we can bring back your parents –"

_WHAT?_

All heads are now turned to look at her and Lily realizes she must have screamed that last thought out loud, though she does not care.

"All you have to do is join me, Lily Evans and we can bring your parents back. They need not have died in vain. All you have to do is join me and for now, be a spy in Hogwarts."

_There is always a catch._

"Don't do it, Lily," James whispers in her ear.

Lily is conflicted. She wants more than anything to have her parents back but…

Then she remembers every reason why she would never join Voldemort. He is power hungry, for one, and will stop at nothing no matter the price. He also has strength, smarts, and has followers who are borderline self-destructive, which translates into a willingness to take chances. He killed and hurt the people she loved and for those reasons, along with many others, she would _never_ join him.

"Join me, Lily Evans. Don't be a fool, better save your own life and join me or you'll meet the same end as your parents…your father died begging me for mercy…"

"LIAR!" Lily shouts suddenly, and everyone is taken aback. The entire time she had been quiet but that set her off. Her father was not a coward, nor was he afraid of death.

"How touching…" he hisses. "I always value bravery…your mother was a fool though. I was aiming for you, she needn't have jumped in front –"

"You _missed_."

"Lord Voldemort does not miss."

_Was it true? Did her mother jump in front of her? NO…he missed…_

Voldemort is sneering again.

"Join me, Lily Evans. Together we can do extraordinary things."

"You're evil…" she whispers.

"My patience is running thin. There is no good and evil, there is only power and those to weak to seek it. I will ask you one more time…join me…join us and your life shall be spared. Join me and your mother will not have died in vain."

"NEVER!"

"Seize her!" screams Voldemort but Lily anticipates him.

In a second, her wand is out and she feels more power course through her veins than she thought was possible.

"_STUPEFY!"_ she yells. It is not aimed at any particular Witch or Wizard though, but at Grendel the Giant. To James' shock, the spell penetrates his thick skin and he begins falling forward. He quickly pulls Lily out of harms way and they dive to the side as the Giant falls, crushing more than several Death Eaters. Others flee in fear of being the next to be crushed and Voldemort lets out a cry of fury.

He sends a curse at her, which she deflects with surprising ease. He does not show his initial shock though and continues firing spells at her, trying to catch her off guard.

Meanwhile, James is off dueling several other Death Eaters. It is like déjà vu of Diagon Alley right before the past Christmas except this time the stakes were higher.

"_Avada –"_ begins Voldemort.

"NO!" screams a voice behind Lily. She turns around in surprise.

" – _Kedavra!"_

James, who heard the first part of the curse, had gotten a running start and pushed Lily down on the ground and out of the way. They both land hard on the ground and the curse hits a tree and causes it to burst into flames.

"We meet again Tom," says Professor Dumbledore. Voldemort's eyes flash and the dull red they are currently become brighter.

"That is not my name, old man," he snarls. He looks unsettled though, this time it is evident. Most of his followers have been abandoned him even though they know they will pay for doing so later. Leaving before though guaranteed themselves a little more time and less of a chance of being shipped to Azkaban prison.

"I'm afraid old habits die hard Tom, but you would know that," Professor Dumbledore says, his eyes no longer sparkling. "You always had a thirst for knowledge and wanted to go beyond the normal boundaries."

"Something _you_ could be capable of if you were not _weak_," spits Voldemort as if the words will hurt Professor Dumbledore. He shrugs it off though.

"I have many weaknesses Tom and so do you and I am sure in due course you will realize what those weaknesses are." At this, Professor Dumbledore withdraws his wand and sends a curse Voldemort's way.

He deflects it easily and when Professor Dumbledore tries again, he disappears with a swish of his cloak and materializes on the other side of him.

"Get behind me," Professor Dumbledore instructs the others who came with him.

"You are a fool Dumbledore, a fool that is getting old. You are no longer as agile as you used to be and soon enough you will meet you end because only I can live forever." With another swish of his cloak, he disappears, leaving those remaining in the forest thunderstruck, all except for Professor Dumbledore.

"Sir, what did he mean when he said only he can live forever?" asks Alice terrified. Professor Dumbledore sighs and shakes his head.

"I'm afraid this is neither the time nor the place to explain that Miss Prewitt. I am still putting the pieces together myself."

"Are you okay?" James whispers to Lily. His hands are planted firmly on the forest floor and he is on top of her, her laying on the ground still. She can feel his hot breath tickle his skin and shivers slightly.

"I'm fine," she replies. "…You saved my life."

James hesitates for a moment and then shrugs casually.

"All in a days work." Lily laughs slightly and to everyone's immense surprise, she leans up on her elbows and kisses him gently on the lips.

It amazes James how of the three kisses he has had with Lily, each one that succeeds the other is immeasurably better than the one prior. Also, he marvels how each kiss leaves him wanting more. He does not want the kiss to end but realizes that as it is only a "thank you for saving my life kiss" (if there is such a kiss), it is going to end relatively soon. Not to mention, there _are_ half a dozen other people watching.

"Sooo," says Sirius, a grin threatening to break on his face. "How 'bout them Chudley Canons?" Marlene snorts and shakes her head in disbelief.

"I think it's time to get up James," Lily says. He notices she is bright red but she also is smiling so he takes that as a good sign. He knows not to get his hopes up though. Somehow every time he does they always come crashing down, much like he did on Lily before.

He nods and gets up and then offers her a hand again. She accepts it this time, albeit reluctantly, and turns to look at the others.

"Well, I think you guys have had a good show," she says dryly. "How about we go back to the castle and get out of here?"

They all nod and begin walking back to the castle. As they walk, Lily and James describe what happened in the forest with Voldemort to Professor Dumbledore. They bid the Headmaster goodbye once they reach his floor and continue up to the Gryffindor Tower in silence. When they arrive at the portrait hole is when the silence is broken.

"Lion paw," says James. The Fat Lady nods and opens up to admit them. They get in to find the common room completely empty except for a few stray first years. Everyone must be at lunch by now. James is surprised at how much time has gone by.

Interesting birthday.

The guys and girls part and James watches Lily as she walks up the stairs. Margaret notices him staring and gives him a discreet thumbs up. He smiles to himself slightly and walks up to his dormitory with his best mates.

Once they get in and collapse on their beds.

"What a…morning," Remus finally says, breaking the silence. James snorts.

"I'd say."

Sirius then sits up and grins at him. When James does not notice this, the former chucks his pillow at his head.

"OI! What the bloody hell was that for?"

"For not saying anything! Merlin's beard, mate, Lily-bean kissed you!" James shrugs and Sirius narrows his eyes suspiciously. "How come you're not jumping up and down like the deranged bloke you are?"

James rolls his eyes. "You talk about me and Lily kissing like it happened for the first time." He waits patiently for that to sink in on them.

"But it –" begins Sirius. He then stops and stares at James intently, who is returning his gaze. His eyes widen in shock and he looks at Remus who also appears surprised.

"Prongs, what are you saying…?" Remus says slowly. "Have you and Lily kissed before?"

James just grins and the other two Marauders gape at him in shock at not having been told this. Sirius narrows his eyes.

"When?"

"The first time –"

"The _first?"_ says Remus incredulously. "You mean there's been more than just _twice?"_ James nods.

"The first time was at the Masquerade ball – we were dancing with each other outside. Then the second time was when we were under the Invisibility Cloak in the Slytherin common room waiting for you lot."

Sirius wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

"Ooh, under the cloak? That's a new one…kinky." James chucks the pillow back at him but Sirius just catches it and places it behind his head. "Where does this leave you guys?"

"I'm not sure. I –" James then remembers back to their time in the cave and groans. "I think I gave her the wrong impression when we were in the cave. She must think that I really don't like her anymore…" Remus and Sirius give him a knowing look. "Oh, shut it."

The door opens and they all turn to look at who is there. When no one is they look at each other confused and a bit worried. Is there someone invisible in their room?

Then their explanation comes. In comes a floating note addressed to James. Sirius jumps up and intercepts it before James can but when he tries to open it, it burns his hands.

"Damn it!" He tosses the letter to James who has a feeling he knows whom this is from. Only one person he knows would hex the letter so only the person it is meant for can open it.

Smiling to himself, he opens it and scans it down. It is brief and consists of only six words.

_Meet me in the Clock Tower_.

"What does it say?" asks Sirius, cautiously standing a couple feet away as if he is afraid it will mysteriously combust. James has to admit, it is not unreasonable to assume based on who sent it. Even without a signature he would recognize the neat handwriting anywhere.

"I have to go," James says quickly. He then hesitates and goes to the floorboard next to his four-poster. He takes something that Sirius, Remus, and Peter cannot see out of it.

"But where –"

"To meet someone," he says evasively. "I'll fill you lot in later."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

As James reaches the staircase that will lead him to the Clock Tower he feels his heart rate increase. Feeling his palms, they are sweaty and he cannot remember the last time he felt so nervous. Perhaps the first Quidditch game this past year but even then he had somewhat of a grip on his emotions. He slips what he took from his floorboard into his robe pocket. Walking up the stairs, James gets this strange feeling that he is walking into something that may change his life forever.

He pushes open the door and it creaks eerily.

"_Lumos_," he whispers. His wand tip glows and she shines it in the middle of the room. Her figure is illuminating and at first he thinks she is an angel because she just has that effect.

"Hey," Lily whispers. Her voice, however, echoes throughout the room and shakes James to the core. There is something about it that is so warm, so genuine, so _lustrous_ that is awakens him. That and the fact that he is still getting used to her not always using the same sharp tone while around him.

Realizing he should probably say something, he replies, "Hey yourself." He internally kicks himself. Could he sound anymore stupid?

Lily smiles though. When she speaks though it reveals that she is just as nervous, if not more so, than James. He marvels at the tough girl act she has put up.

"I – I just wanted to thank you again…you know, for earlier," she says anxiously. "If it weren't for you, I'd be –"

"Don't say it," pleads James. Lily falls silent for a moment and then continues.

"But that wasn't the only reason I called you here…" she shifts and it becomes even more clear that she is nervous. She takes something out of her cloak and extends it to him.

He walks closer to her and takes it. As he opens it, his eyes dart to her occasionally. He notices how they are unwavering from his own and each time he notices this he looks back down again.

He finally gets the wrapping paper off and he realizes it is a scrapbook. It has _Marauder Moments_ written in neat gold on the cover. He opens it hastily and is shocked to see multiple pictures of him, Sirius, Remus, and Peter. Some are in the common room, others by the lake, some by their tree, and a select few with the girls.

He looks at Lily in wonder and see her looking anxiously at him, trying to judge his reaction, he assumes. He decides to show her and gives her a tight hug.

He feels her tense up and then melt into his arms. It is as though they were built specifically so they can fit together as one. James knew it all along and he wonders if she feels the same way.

"So I take it you like it?" she says, amusement evident in her voice. James guffaws and she feels the rumbling deep within him.

"I love it," he says sincerely. "You always know what to get for me. So far you're three for three," he jokes.

Lily pulls back and grins at him. "Well, good." She then pauses. "Wait, I've only gotten you two gifts…"

James shakes his head. "You gave me something else." Lily tilts her head in confusion, a look that James finds absolutely adorable since he seldom sees her confused.

"What's that?"

"You gave me the gift of loving."

Lily feels her chest burning, but not because of the necklace this time. There is a fire steadily growing in her heart, reaching a fever pitch and bringing her out of the dark. Every feeling she has denied feeling towards James this past year is shining in her emerald, green orbs for him to see. He stares into them with more love and lust than he ever thought was possible to possess.

Their lips crash together, every emotion they have been feeling spilling out. James' insides are also on fire and he feels as though he is flying on his Nimbus 500 except a million times better. He puts his entire body and soul into the kiss, afraid that if he does not she will never truly know how he feels. Now there is no more mistaking if he still "likes" her or not.

As for Lily, she has never felt more alive. This is the second greatest experience she has had to date that has measured up to and surpassed the feeling of knowing she is a Witch. She smiles in the kiss and wraps her arms around James' neck. His hands make to her waist and she feels her back now against the wall. It does not alarm her though because she knows James like she did not know Marc. He knows how she feels and where her comfort levels lie and will certainly not surpass them.

They break apart, gasping for air and he rests his forehead against her own. Green meets hazel and they find themselves staring into the other's eyes, both never having seen a more beautiful sight. It is then especially that Lily knows she returns every feeling James has for her and although she is apprehensive, she is not as scared because being in his arms makes her feel that much protected.

"Lily," James whispers after a few moments of silence. His forehead is still pressed up against hers.

Her eyes have been closed, breathing heavily, but now she opens them up again and smiles at him.

"Yes?"

He takes a deep breath and asks the question he has never dared before.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

Lily feels her heart flip at the question she anticipated him asking. She is glad though that for once she can give him the answer he wants.

"Yes."

The initial shock of a confirmation is evident in James' face but then he grins from ear-to-ear and kisses her passionately again. She returns the kiss and he lifts her off her feet and spins her around.

Best. Birthday. Ever.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily returns to her dormitory in a gaze. Her and James spent another two hours in the Clock Tower just talking and enjoying each other's presence. She felt herself opening up to him for the first time and the experience left her breathless (in a good way). She is not surprised when she opens the dormitory to find three frantic girls.

"Where have you been?" hisses Marlene. "We were worried sick that you were abducted again!"

"I was in a manner of speaking," Lily says with a goofy grin on her face. The other three look at her baffled.

"Where'd you go off to in such a hurry?" Alice asks her, and Lily's grin extends wider. "Oh, Merlin…"

"There's something I have to tell you guys," Lily says seriously, and the others are taken aback by her sudden change in attitude.

"What?" asks Margaret confused. All three girls look at her interested.

Lily takes a deep breath.

"James and I are going out."

There is silence and then…

"!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James is floating on what feels like Cloud Nine. He is finally going out with Lily. _Him_ and Lily are together. _His_ Lily. He will never get tired of saying that.

He walks into his dormitory and is tackled to the ground by what at first feels like a shaggy dog but then he realizes it is Sirius.

James laughs and pushes his best mate off of him.

"Gerrof me, Padfoot," he says but he has a grin plastered on his face. He has a feeling it will be there permanently.

Sirius grins and gets up and then helps James up as well.

"Where have you been? I thought you were only going to be a little bit," he pouts. "Moony here has been _reading_ the entire time and Wormtail…" James grins sympathetically.

"Sorry mate but I had…things to do."

Sirius narrows his eyes suspiciously and crosses his arms and taps his foot like an impatient wife.

"Well, what about _me?_ What about _my_ needs?" James resists the urge to break down laughing. Sometimes Sirius is mental but that is what he loves most about him.

"Merlin mate, I would have thought you'd be happy that Lily finally said yes to dating me," James says with a smirk.

"…What about –" Sirius stops abruptly and whips around to stare at Remus and Peter in shock.

"WHAT?" they all yell.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"This isn't a joke, right?" says Margaret warily.

Lily smiles and shakes her head and her friends let out another squeal.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you two!" cries Alice, hugging Lily tightly. Lily laughs and hugs her back. "Tell us _everything_."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"And so basically we kissed and then I asked her to go out with me and she said yes," James says. The grin he had on his face after Lily saying yes to going out with him is still on his face. For what it is worth, he might as well have proposed to her and she said yes.

"Congratulations mate," Sirius and Remus chorus, and they pat me on the back. Peter left a little while ago to supposedly work on his Transfiguration homework but it does not matter.

"I still can't believe she said _yes_," laughs Sirius.

"Are you saying you didn't have faith in me to win her heart over eventually?" James asks, pretending to sound hurt.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Sirius quips, and James smacks him upside the head. "This calls for a celebration!"

James looks at him warily.

"If this 'celebration' includes the phrase 'a good ol' fashion rub down' I'm going to take you for a walk off the Astronomy Tower," warns James. Remus turns a faint green.

"No! Well, that would be nice, but no," amends Sirius. "What you need is a _good ol' fashion_ trip to The Three Broomsticks! Plus, since it's your big day it's my treat! It's been forever since we just had a Marauders night out."

James ponders the thought for a moment before responding.

"That actually sounds kind of nice," says James grinning. "I s'pose that we'll be taking the old way through Honeydukes."

"Obvi," says Sirius smirking.

"Won't Rosmerta know though that we're not supposed to be out?" asks Peter worriedly, entering the room again.

"Pete! You're becoming less of a Marauder! Marauders aren't supposed to care about stuff like that!" cries Sirius. Peter turns pink. "Anyways, she'll be too drunk to care."

Realization dawns on Remus.

"Oh no," he groans. "Isn't tonight Karaoke Sunday?" he asks horrified.

Sirius grins cheekily. "I wondered when you'd remember."

"No! Absolutely not! Last time you sang karaoke you were drunk after five minutes, stripped completely down to nothing, and then almost proposed to some girl before I managed to pull you down."

"Really? I don't recall. Guess we'll just have to find out tonight!" Remus looks like he is about to argue further but Peter interjects.

"We can keep an eye on him all night if it makes you happy, Moony," he says. "Plus, it's Prongs birthday and since _somebody_ ruined all of our gifts we're going to need to make it up to him."

James snorts and Remus turns beet-red.

"You left them lying next to the fire, wrapped in a cardboard box! What was I supposed to think? Your gifts looked like firewood!"

"Wizards don't _need_ firewood, Moony!" cries Sirius. "Get your facts right! Someone has to be the brightest!"

"That's right! However, I feel like I lose ten IQ points every day I spend with you three."

"That's all good and well but it doesn't matter now. Get all washed up and ready boys because tonight is Karaoke Night!"

At around eight o'clock that night, a little while after dinner, the Marauders sneak down their dormitory stairs. The common room is mostly empty except for a few stragglers since most are studying in the library. They are about to talk out the door when –

"_Where_ do you think you're going?" comes a voice from behind them. They whip around and came face-to-face with a suspicious Lily. "And _why_ are you wearing that…? Oh my god, you're sneaking off to Hogsmeade aren't you?" she shrieks.

"Shh," hushes James. "Yes, we're going but please don't rat us out Lils."

Lily crosses her arms. "You amaze me, James Potter. We haven't even gone out for a _day_ and you're already trying to get me to excuse you lot sneaking off grounds. It goes against all of my ethics!"

"…But you'll do it anyway because you love me?" he says hopefully.

Lily blushes scarlet and James grins. "Try again."

James' eyes suddenly sparkle brightly.

"Come with us!"

"_What?"_ cry both Lily and Sirius.

"You guys are some of my best friends but there is no way am _I_, a Prefect, will come with you four to drink, which I might add is illegal, in Hogsmeade on a school night!"

"First of all, it's only illegal for Wormy here," says Sirius. "Secondly, she's not a _Marauder_ Prongs –"

"Thank Merlin for that," murmurs Lily.

"-And she'd totally be a stick in the mud!"

Remus groans and smacks his forehead. James glares at Sirius and meanwhile, Lily turns cherry red.

"I would _not_ be a stick in the mud," she growls. "That's it. I don't give a damn whether you want me there or not. I'm coming and I'm bringing the others." She stalks off leaving James grinning and Sirius wide mouthed.

"And that's why you don't mouth off to Lily Evans," smirks James. "Come on, they can meet us there."

"No they can't, they don't know the passageways," points out Peter.

"Exactly, come on!" says Sirius hastily. James opens his mouth to protest but Sirius drags him out of the portrait hole before he can run to get Lily.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily storms up the girls' dormitory steps and into her room. All four girls are in there but it is completely silent. No one is talking and the only noise is Alice flipping through a fashion magazine.

"Come on. Get dressed in something sexy," says Lily, opening her trunk.

"Excuse me?" says Alice, looking up from her magazine in shock. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

Lily nods. "You heard right girls because tonight the four of us are going to Karaoke Night at The Three Broomsticks."

"You're not serious are you?" asks Marlene.

"As serious as I've ever been," replies Lily, dressing into a jean skirt with black leggings. "Sirius thinks –"

"Ugh," groans all three girls.

"What?" asks Lily offended.

"You're doing this because of _Sirius?"_ sighs Alice, getting up. "If you weren't dating James I would have thought you liked _him!"_ She begins also dressing knowing there was no point in arguing with Lily. Dorcas' head snaps up.

"_You're_ dating _James?"_

"Err – yeah, kind of," Lily says uncomfortably. She glares at Alice who shrugs in a way that says, "People are going to find out eventually".

Lily turns back to Marlene and Margaret. "I'm not going to say it again. _Get dressed_," she orders.

Marlene and Margaret groan again but get up anyway. Once they finish getting dressed, they tiptoe down the stairs.

"Wait, so how are we getting there?" asks Margaret puzzled. Lily had not thought of that. Damn Sirius for making the others leave without them.

"Don't worry, I know the perfect way," grins Marlene mysteriously.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"How did _you_ know about this passageway?" asks Alice, surprised that someone else knows it too.

Marlene grins. "I have my sources."

"Which are?" asks Lily.

"They wouldn't be _my_ sources if I told you now, would they?"

Lily rolls her eyes and then:

"OI!" gasps Margaret.

"What?" they all ask concerned.

"_Lumos_," whispers Lily. "Oh, you hit your head _here_." Margaret nods and takes a step back. Lily then loosens the latch and they sneak up.

"_Muffliato_," murmurs Lily, pointing at the owner's bedroom. "Let's go."

They open the jingling door and step outside. The wind makes the night air skin piercing cold.

"L-Let's g-go," shivers Alice.

The others nod in agreement and walk down the street to the Three Broomsticks. As they open the door they feel a rush of warmth. They walk over the threshold hastily and Alice gasps, then squeals.

"Gideon! Fabian!" she cries, running over to hug her two older twin cousins. They grin and hug her back. Fabian puts on a mock-serious face.

"Alice Claire Prewitt, what in _Merlin's name_ are you doing out on a school night?" He sounds uncannily like Molly Prewitt (Weasley), who is also Alice's cousin.

Alice laughs. "Having fun and humouring a friend." Then she looks around worriedly. "Cousin Molly isn't here, is she? She'll be _sure_ to tell mum and dad!"

Gideon chuckles. "Nah, she's home with Arthur, Bill, Charlie, _and_ Percy."

"Bless her soul," jokes Fabian. "We've always had a big family and I hear she wants _more!_ Christmas sure will be a interesting event."

"Yeah, with all the people attending we'll go bankrupt," smirks Gideon.

They all laugh and that is when Fabian notices the other girls standing in the a few feet away.

"Hey Lily," he greets. He nods towards Marlene and Margaret whom he does not know as well. "I guess you're the friend she's humouring?" he jokes. Lily grins and nods. "So you're corrupting our baby cousin now?"

"Who are you calling a baby?" Alice cries indignantly, and Lily and the others burst out laughing. Fabian turns serious again then.

"I'm sorry to hear about your parents. How's Petunia? Still treating you bad?"

"Yeah, 'cause that can be fixed easily," says Gideon menacingly.

Lily smiles meekly. "Thank you but I haven't talked to her since last summer," she murmurs sadly. She looks down at her feet so she does not have to meet either boy's pitying eyes. She loathes being pitied. James and Severus always have it in their eyes when this topic is brought up.

"Anyway, do you guys want to grab a table before they're all full?" asks Lily anxious to change the topic.

"Sure," agree both boys in unison. They all laugh and grab an available table, order, and laugh about old times. Soon, Lily's mind is far away from Petunia.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James gapes. Lily looks…stunning. Not that she does not always look beautiful but she looks especially so tonight. James cannot believe she does not see the beauty both on the inside and out.

"Prongs?" says Sirius for the third time. When James does not respond he sighs and follows his gaze. After, he turns back to a befuddled Remus and Peter, both of which are in a position where they cannot see Lily.

"Lily-bean alert," says Sirius simply. Remus rolls his eyes and Peter snickers.

"Prongs," whispers Sirius. "Lily-bean's right in front of you and she wants to have hot, dirty, jungle sex."

"What?" asks James starting. Remus and Peter roar with laughter that is unheard over the loud music. "Why'd you _do_ that?"

"You were drooling." James hastily wipes his mouth and Sirius snorts. James glares at him and slaps him on the back of the head.

"OI!" cries Sirius. "What the bloody hell was that for?"

"For being a git."

"You know you _are_ dating…" Sirius says slowly. "You no longer have to glare daggers at any bloke she happens to be talking to."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily is having a great time. Her and Fabian have been talking for the past half hour, catching up on old times and missed ones. Gideon is mainly talking to Alice, Marlene, and Margaret since he knows the last two better.

Lily has to admit that she misses hanging out with Fabian. In her fourth year and his seventh, they had gone out for about two month's. It had been fun especially since he was the only boy not intimidated by James. She had ended it though, because she could tell he liked a seventh year Ravenclaw. Thankfully, they have still been able to remain friends and it is not awkward at all.

"So Lily, are you seeing anyone?" he asks interested. He has the same sparkle in his eyes that she remembers him having when her and James used to have all out rows.

Lily smirks. "As a matter of fact I am. Just recently actually."

This gets Gideon's attention also. He had heard that she had been going out with Marc Jacobs, now Davis, but not all that recently. He looks at her confused.

"You're no longer going out with Jacobs?"

Lily grimaces. "Davis."

Gideon and Fabian's eyes widen in shock. The other girls though are not surprised since Lily told them a few days before her and James got together.

"_Marc Davis?"_ Fabian says, and Lily nods. "The same bloke you went out with before we did? The one who made those pictures…?"

"The same," says Lily shortly.

"So who are you going out with now?"

"Hey everyone," grins James, sitting down next to Lily and kissing her on the cheek.

Fabian and Gideon's jaws drop and Lily grins widely.

"Guilty."

"No. Way."

The entire restaurant is staring at them now. Most of them have seen Lily and James before at their worst and cannot believe their eyes.

"Why don't you all take a picture? It'll last longer," snorts James.

_CLICK!_

"OI, PADFOOT!" James yells. "Where the bloody hell did you get a camera?" Sirius grins guiltily and runs back off to the bar before James can catch him.

"I cannot believe my eyes," Fabian says incredulously. "I never thought I would live to see the day where Lily Evans would allow James Potter to kiss her on the cheek and not slap him for doing so." The entire table laughs and Lily stands up.

"I'm going to go get another drink," she says. "Do you want to come?" she asks James. He nods and also stands up. "We'll be right back." Fabian and the others nod and he turns to listen to what Alice was saying. Lily grins and makes her way over to the bar with James.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Hey Alice," says Frank a few minutes after Lily and James have left. He had wandered over to where she is sitting with her two cousins. Margaret and Marlene have just gone off to dance with some guys.

"Oh, hey Frank," says Alice, the grin previously there falling off of her face. She looks out of the corner of her eye and notices Fabian and Gideon sizing Frank up. They have always been like older brothers to her and she just hopes he will not be scared away. "What are you doing here tonight?"

"I knew the Marauders would be here so I decided to tag along," he replies, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Hey Alice, can we talk to you _privately?"_ ask both cousins in perfect unison.

Alice sighs. "I'll be right back," she says to Frank. He grins and nods and then watches as the twins practically drag Alice away.

"You guys were the most popular, handsome, and mischievous, next to the Marauders, in school," says Alice, "but subtlety always was something you lacked."

Gideon shrugs. "We found that it was never prudent to learn."

"Especially when our baby cousin decides to keep who she's dating from us," says Fabian sternly.

Alice puts her hands on her petite hips. "Firstly, I'm _not_ a baby anymore, I happen to be seventeen-years-old. Secondly, it was and still is not any of your damn business who I do or do not date!"

Fabian narrows his eyes. "Do your mum and dad know?"

"Of course they know, you great prat! They've already met him!"

"Has he ever tried to force you to have –" begins Gideon.

"NO!" shouts Alice mortified. "Let me make one thing perfectly clear. Whether I have or have not had sex with him is none of your business and since last time I checked, my sex life isn't going to have an audience!" Thankfully, the music is far too loud for anyone to hear them.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Frank watches from the other side of the room as Alice shrieks something. He is relatively calm during this. After all, he has grown up with the most formidable, known Witch for a mother. He knows it is only a matter of time before Fabian and Gideon move on to interrogating him.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me, R-E-S-P-E-C-T, take care, TCB…" sings Sirius, drunk off his ass, at the top of his lungs.

Everyone is laughing and cheering at the top of _their_ lungs along with Marlene. It is only what he does next that makes her stop laughing.

"Hey Marley!" he shouts, stripping down and getting on one knee. "Will you -?"

"Get down," she hisses. She yanks him down and grabs his clothes. She pulls him into the backroom, grateful none of their friends saw the "episode".

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"One butterbeer," Lily orders as her and James sit down at the bar.

"Come on, live a little," urges James, winking at Lily.

Lily rolls her eyes at him and nods the order to the waitress.

"I don't need a hangover especially with History of Magic first thing tomorrow," she explains. He laughs and turns to the approaching Rosmerta.

"'Nother shot, please," he says, smirking at Lily.

"You're going to regret that," warns Lily. James shrugs though and nods to Rosmerta who disappears again.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So, always remember this metaphor of life," says Fabian sternly. "Always remember to keep the burrito tightly in the aluminum foil. Also, make sure the foil _does not_ rip or tear. You don't want any of the beans or avocado spurting out."

"Follow _that_ metaphor and you'll never have to worry about teen pregnancy," finishes Gideon.

Alice stares at her cousins with wide eyes.

"Can I _please_ go to my boyfriend and try with all my might to forget this horrific conversation?" asks Alice. Not waiting for an answer, she hugs them both and runs off, her face burning.

Oh, Merlin!

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Hey Marleyyy," slurs Sirius. He is so close to her, Marlene can smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Shh, get dressed you wanker," hisses Marlene, admiring his muscular build.

"Ooh, you want to see my -?" begins Sirius, looking down.

"NO!" cries Marlene, trying not to laugh. "Though it is rather lovely." Sirius winks at her but she turns stern again. "Sirius, you've got to get dressed before –"

"I'll be right back," calls a female's voice. Marlene recognizes it as Rosmerta's.

Oh, Merlin!

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Margaret is still dancing with the same guy who asked her earlier. She is having a great time laughing and dancing. Remus, however, is less than thrilled. _He_ wants to be the guy dancing with Margaret. _He_ wants to be the guy with his hands on her waist. _He_ wants to be the guy snogging her senseless – wait, _snogging her senseless?_

Remus turns red in anger, a shade that could rival Lily's hair. He turns around and begins dancing with the first girl he spots. That will show Margaret!

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"How long does it take to get _one_ drink?" asks James as Lily sips her butterbeer.

She shrugs. "Perhaps it's karma for you trying to guilt me into drinking?" she teases him.

"Oh, come on. You're not _afraid_ are you?"

Lily narrows her eyes. "I'm not afraid of _anything_. There's a fine line between being afraid and foolish. Seeing as I'm neither, that justifies me being a Gryffindor lion."

"Then do it! Trust me, you'll have a blast."

Lily stares at him for a moment and later she would have no idea what urged her to do it but she does.

"One shot of Vodka please," she orders the waiter passing by. He looks at her tentatively but nods and hands her a drink.

She looks at James and cheers him. "To us." She throws it back and downs the glass in one take. James gapes at her as he had done earlier, only this time it is mingled with shock _and_ admiration. He had never seen Lily drink anything other than butterbeer before. He wonders how well she can hold a drink. He supposes he will find out later tonight.

Lily puts down the glass and orders another. "Happy?" she asks.

James nods numbly. He feels guilty, though. He knows he should never have forced Lily into taking a drink if she truly did not want to.

"Merlin, you're right! I do feel great! Wanna go dance?"

Pushing his guilty thoughts out of his head and forgetting about the drink, he grins giddily and grabs Lily's hand. The two of them go running onto the dance floor and join the crowd.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Hide," hisses Marlene under her breath. She hides behind a box of expired booze.

"Hello?" Sirius wonders aloud, searching for Marlene. She slaps her head with the palm of her hand.

"Eejit," she mutters.

"Hello?" he calls louder.

"Who's there?" asks Rosmerta. Marlene groans inwardly. She checks to see if Sirius has even put his clothes back on. Of course he has not. She rolls her eyes and waits for this all to unfold.

"Who's there?" repeats Rosmerta. She turns the corner and covers her mouth when she sees Sirius. Her hand slowly drops when she notices he is nude and begins to laugh.

"What's so funnyyy?" Sirius asks, slurring his words together again.

"Sirius, are you drunk _again?"_ sighs Rosmerta. "What girl are you with _this_ time?" Marlene holds her breath.

"I'm with –" begins Sirius. Marlene points her wand at the back of him and whispers:

"_Silencio_." The spell hits him and he continues talking but with no noise coming out. Rosmerta looks at him weirdly then looks behind him to see where the spell came from. Deciding not to pursue the matter, she looks Sirius over one more time and then heads back out.

When she is positive that Rosmerta is gone, Marlene creeps back out from behind the box.

"That was _too_ close," she whispers, running her fingers through her hair. "Next time –" But she does not finish her thought because Sirius pulls her in for a passionate kiss. She responds immediately and can feel him harden suddenly since he still has nothing on. He rips off her blouse and massages her left breast. Hopefully nobody will order another drink any time soon or they will be screwed.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Here's your drink," says Rosmerta, handing it to James who just arrived back at the bar with Lily. He stares at her incredulously.

"What? Did it put up a fight in there?" he asks. Realizing what he means she starts laughing.

"Sorry 'bout that. No, your best mate was in there naked but I didn't get out of him who he was with. I think he wanted his privacy."

James snorts but looks troubled. Lily is also worried. She has not seen Marlene for a while…No…

"You don't think him and -?" begins Lily.

"No…it can't be," James says, but he still looks uneasy. He turns to Lily as she orders her fifth drink. "Are you _sure_ you should be drinking that much, Lily?"

"You're the one who told me to!" she cries indignantly.

Rosmerta pauses in cleaning the counter. "Wait, Lily? Lily _Evans?"_

"Yeah?" says Lily uncertainly.

Rosmerta laughs again. "So _this_ is the famous Lily Evans you talk about every time you guys come here!"

James turns red and Lily turns to look at James.

"Exactly _how many_ times have you been here?"

"Eh, lost count?" he mutters. "Besides, we haven't been here since last year."

"That's true," agrees Rosmerta. "James here talked my ear off about Lily Evans, this and Lily Evans, that. We ended the night with me throwing a cherry glass at him. I missed, of course."

Lily laughs and smiles warmly at James, who smiles weakly back. How oblivious was she to his true feelings all these years?

"You are as pretty as he described, though," adds Rosmerta. "Is it true you loathe him?"

Lily shakes her head. "We're dating."

This news causes Rosmerta's eyes to practically pop out of her sockets.

"Good of you to finally deflate your ego some," she says drily to James. He sticks his tongue out at her and Lily laughs.

"I'll see you two later tonight." They nod and she excuses herself as a rude customer snaps his fingers to get her attention.

Lily looks up as she feels a pair of strong arms wrap around her and she leans into James' chest.

"You have no idea how happy I am that you finally said yes," he whispers into her hair. Lily frowns.

"You're right, I probably don't. I think it's about time though I open my eyes and start to find out."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Margaret looks over from where she is sitting to see Remus dancing with some blonde bimbo he seems to have picked up at one point of the night. She has abandoned the guy she had been dancing with as soon as he began fiddling with her bra clasp. She had slapped him and walked off to the table the girls, Fabian, Gideon, and her had originally been sitting at. It is empty now, everyone off somewhere in the restaurant/bar.

She watches as Remus puts his hands on the girl's waist and wishes with all her heart that she were that girl. She realizes she is being a hypocrite because she let whomever she was dancing with do the same. Remus probably did not care though, did he?

Then again, why would he be dancing with some random bimbo? Seems more like a plan to make her jealous since Remus tends to go for girls who can tell the difference between black and white, for lack of a better analogy.

_Yes. That __had__ to be it!_ Margaret thinks angrily. _Remus is only dancing with some random slut to make me __jealous__!_

How dare he?

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So, you never did say exactly what your cousins said to you," comments Frank as him and Alice dance along to some drunk eighteen-year-old singing.

Alice groans. "You _don't_ want to know."

"Try me."

"You really want to hear the 'metaphor' of life?"

"Sure."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily is drunk. Scratch that, she is stoned. No, she is nine miles past being stoned. Her hair is now down and she is dancing with James, Fabian, and Gideon. To James and the others, she is a great dancer, even though she is intoxicated. She is still gliding around the dance floor, chatting it up occasionally with different guys, most of them older than her. Most of them, also, who Lily would most definitely _never_ dance or associate with if she was sober.

James has been making sure though that she is close by him at all times. He has a really bad feeling that if she is out of his sight for even a moment something bad will happen.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Both Marlene and Sirius are completely naked now. Their clothes and underwear lay discarded on the floor and they are now next to them, moving to a specific, slow rhythm. Thankfully for Marlene, Sirius is no longer as drunk as he had been previously so he will be able to remember this the next morning.

There is a creak and the door to the backroom where they are still opens ever so slightly.

Marlene pulls back before Sirius can enter her and jumps up. The door opens a little wider and she gathers up her clothes and Sirius' before yanking him behind a shelf full of booze.

"Hello?" calls Rosmerta. "Sirius, are you still in here with your 'mystery' girl?"

Marlene covers his mouth before he can reply.

There is no sound from Rosmerta except for the clicking of her high heels as she grabs someone's drink order. The door creaks again and closes with a soft thump.

"We've got to get out of here," says Marlene, putting her underwear back on and then her clothes.

"How about we take this to the bathroom?" he says seductively.

"As appealing as that sounds Sirius, I ain't no exhibitionist," smirks Marlene (**A/N: I thought of you as I was writing this Carly XD**). "Get dressed _now_ Sirius."

He nods reluctantly and throws his clothes on haphazardly. He checks if the coast is clear before they leave and lets Marlene run out first. Some night.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Frank roars with laughter as Alice tells him the "metaphor of life".

"Your cousins are bloody hilarious," laughs Frank as him and Alice begin dancing to a faster song.

Alice smirks. "You think that _now_. Wait until they interrogate _you_."

Frank grins and then turns serious. "You know I'd never pressure you into doing something you weren't ready to do, right?"

Alice smiles sweetly. "Of course I know that because you're not that kind of guy. You're sweet, caring, and sensitive. I know you're also not a player like…Sirius, for an example."

Frank nods. _Or apparently Remus_, he thinks.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Half an hour has now gone by and Lily is not showing any signs of letting up. In fact, she seems even more alive now then she when she started dancing an hour ago. She has been dancing with James alone for a solid fifteen minutes and now the whole bar is cheering them on as they kiss passionately.

He has never felt more in touch with his senses. Every part of his body feels as though it is on fire and pulsating to the music. He moans in pleasure as Lily runs her hands through his hair, her nails scraping his scalp and tracing lines down his neck.

Guiltiness, however, is soaring through James again. He knows Lily does not mind public displays of affection but this is pushing it. They are in a crowded bar, they are underage, and what they are doing she would most likely never do if she were sober. _He_ will be the reason she wakes up with a hangover for class tomorrow.

James continues, however, to kiss her and ignores Sirius even when he comes over to him.

"Hey Prongs," says Sirius somewhat dazed. James does not respond though. "PRONGS!"

James pulls apart from Lily abruptly and glares at Sirius.

"What?" Sirius' eyes widen as he looks from James to a disheveled, clearly drunk Lily.

"Wow. _Lily-bean?_ _Our_ Lily-bean hooking up in the middle of the dance floor in a crowded bar? How much happened while I was gone?"

James explains meekly how Lily got her first shot in her hand and how it has progressed from there. Sirius stares at him wide eyed the whole time and sighs when he finishes.

"Our little Prongslet is growing up," says Sirius dreamily. "It seems just like yesterday you were staring at Lily-bean from across the corridor in longing…oh wait, that _was_ yesterday."

"Shut it," laughs James good-humouredly. "I think it's about time we get Lils out of here."

Apparently Sirius had been thinking along the same lines and nods grimly.

"You lift from one arm and me the other if she protests?" James nods.

"Lily, we have to go back now," says James, steadying her. She stares at him blankly.

"Why?" she asks.

"Because it's almost one in the morning and you're going to be a ghost tomorrow," replies James.

"But I don't _wanna_ go! I was having _so_ much fun with you," she purrs, throwing herself on him.

It takes will power for James not to begin snogging her senselessly again. He nods grimly to Sirius. Together, the two of them each take an arm and lift her up so she is midair in between them.

"Put me down!" she squeals, but she is laughing.

"Sorry Lily-bean but tonight you're going to have a new way of transportation," explains Sirius.

Lily shrugs, looking around in a daze now.

"Okay." They are about to make their way to the exit when they are intercepted.

"Hey Jamsiepoo," coos Miranda. She is wearing a short skirt similar to Lily's except she is not wearing leggings like Lily is, allowing people to have a clear view up it. She is also wearing an extremely tight tank top that was completely see through. "Leaving so soon?"

James glares at her. "I thought I told you not to call me that," he snarls. "And yes, in fact, I'm leaving with Lily now."

Miranda glares at a drunken Lily who just stares back at her blandly. Something inside Miranda's head clicks then.

"_She's_ drunk?" Miranda gasps. She then breaks out in hysterics. "_The Lily-I'm So Perfect-Evans_ is _drunk_?"

James sighs. "Can you just move out of the way so we can _get her back to the castle?"_

Miranda shrugs. "Only if you have a drink and a dance with me," she smirks.

"I'd rather dance with a banshee," says James coolly. "Now move or I _will_ move you."

Miranda looks pretty content with that idea. "Go ahead. In fact, I'll be happy if you did because you'd be touching me."

James makes a disgusted face and looks at Sirius exasperated as the others appear behind them.

"What's the holdup here?" asks Remus impatiently. "I'd really like to get back to the castle before daylight."

James indicates to Miranda. "She won't move unless I have a drink and dance with her and the only way she can be moved is if I move her and I will be _damned_ if I touch her."

"Aw, but you used to _love_ touching me, Jamsiepoo," says Miranda coyly.

"Don't. Call. Me. That," snarls James. "And don't tell lies. Dating you was one of the worst mistakes in my life."

Miranda turns white in fury and her eyes flash. "You'll regret those words James Potter. Mark my words, you'll rue the day that you decided to break up with me and got with that Mudblood slut."

James' eyes flash and if he were not a gentleman, he would have knocked her out right then and there.

"You shut your mouth," he growls. "Lily is infinitely better than you will be. Come on guys, let's go." However, Miranda crosses her arms and does not move.

"Oh for Merlin's sake," says Remus irritated. He takes out his wand and _pushes_ Miranda out of the way with some spell. "Are you a Wizard or not, Prongs?"

James shrugs sheepishly. "Whoops. Come on, let's get out of here, it's getting more crowded."

Ignoring Miranda's dirty look, the nine of them walk out of the bar and across the street once more.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Come on Lily, we have to get to the dormitory," says James anxiously. He had told the others to go ahead and leave him with Lily but she is proving more difficult to coax along than he expected. First of all, leading someone who is drunk with no map is suicidal and if they are found it can jeopardize Lily's position as a Prefect. Secondly, it does not help that Lily is stopping to observe every bloody statue in the school.

"What's this?" asks Lily all giggly.

"It's a door," sighs James. She walks forward a little more and then does James realize they have managed to finally reach the common room.

After James finally stirs an irritable Fat Lady and tells her the password, he leads Lily into the common room.

"Okay, you've got to go up to sleep now," says James wearily. "Are you going to be okay tonight?"

"No, sleep with me," says Lily firmly. James heart skips a beat and he is positive that he had misheard her.

"W-What?"

"Bone me."

James laughs uncomfortably. "Ha-ha, erm – sure?"

"Yeahh…I was. Serious," says Lily. It is then that James realizes how close they are and how much he wishes he could fulfill her request. He longs to bring her to his room and rip all her clothes off to explore every nook and cranny of her thin figure.

"I'm sorry Lily, I can't," he says dejectedly.

"So wait, like can we bone or like, was that a no?"

James sighs, wishing he could give her a different answer.

"Yes, you can safely assume that's a no," he says solemnly. "I'm not going to take advantage of you. You'd never forgive me and you'd regret it more than anything in the morning."

Lily looks at him blankly. "Sleep with me," she repeats.

"_No_," says James firmly. He conjures up some coffee. "Drink this."

"What is it?" asks Lily, observing it as if it is poisoned. She takes out her wand and does several enchantments over it to double-check. James admires her vigilance even though she is intoxicated.

"It's coffee. It'll help the alcohol get out of your system a bit," says James. Lily nods and takes several sips. Then, without warning, she runs to the window and pukes out of it. James runs over to help her so she does not fall out of it. He holds her hair back for her as she pukes her guts out. He admires how silky smooth her hair is.

James spends a good fifteen minutes holding back Lily's hair so she can throw up out the window. Suffice to say, he feels sorry for anyone who steps outside into the puddle of sick tomorrow, excluding if it is a Slytherin. By the time he can finally get Lily up to her dormitory (he froze the staircase enabling his access up there) it is almost three o'clock in the morning!

"Lily, you have to go to bed now," says James kindly. He feels sorry for the morning that is approaching her. "You're going to be the equivalent of an Inferi in a few hours and it's all my fault."

Lily shakes her head. "I'll only go to sleep if you stay with me."

James inwardly groans. It was not the sleepless night that bothers him if it will help Lily, but how will the others react when they see him in their dormitory?

"Okay, I'll stay here tonight with you," says James sincerely. "Get in bed though." Lily obliges and watches him conjure a hard, wooden chair. This way he will not doze off and will be able to get out before the others wake up.

"Why don't you get something softer?" she asks gently.

"I'd rather stay awake so I don't give the other's a fright in the morning," he says, stifling a yawn.

"That's ridiculous! You're dead tired," argues Lily. She moves closer to the wall. "Lie down here."

James shakes his head. "Sorry love, that's the last way you're going to want to wake up in the morning."

Lily shrugs. "Stop being an arrogant prick and lie down."

James shrugs his shoulders as well and obliges. He makes sure to leave some space in between them though. Lily falls asleep almost instantly but James stays awake the whole night watching her sleep. She looks beautiful even when she is sleeping. He would happily never go to sleep again if it means he can stay up every night and watch her do so.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily wakes up a few hours later with a killer migraine and is very stiff. She tries to open her eyes but is blinded by excruciating light coming in through the windows. She can hear the others girls groaning and last nights events come back like a slideshow playing before her eyes.

_The bar…James' birthday…drinking…James…_

_Oh my god!_ She thinks anxiously. _What happened last night with James? Did we __do__ something?_

She rolls over, intending to get up and smells his cologne. That is when she truly panics. He would not take advantage of her, would he?

That is when she notices a note on her nightstand. She opens it up confused and scans over it, a smile appearing on her face as she nears the end.

_Lily,_

_Firstly, I know you're probably freaking out right now. Don't worry, we didn't do anything last night. Also, I left a tonic for you four. It'll help. Don't ask how I know._

_James_

Lily smiles ever so slightly. Last nights events come back full force. She places the note in her nightstand drawer and gets up and gets dressed. Once done getting dressed, that is when she notices the tonic mentioned in the letter that James gave her. It is also on her nightstand and she is surprised she did not notice it before because it is lime green. She takes a sip of it and shivers in disgust. The relief is immediate though and she makes sure to leave some for the other girls.

"Hey guys, James left us a tonic over here," announces Lily. The girls practically migrate over to her to get the next sip.

"Where'd he get this?" asks Margaret, taking a sip.

Lily shrugs. "He didn't say."

"Last night, did you guys…?" asks Alice. Lily shakes her head vehemently.

"No, in the note he said nothing happened, thank Merlin."

Marlene smiles. "You've finally got a winner, Lils."

Lily smiles. "I know, I'm finally starting to realize that. I have to go find him and thank him."

"Send him thanks from us too!" calls Marlene. Lily waves her hand over her head to indicate that she hears and understands and walks out of the room.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Ughh, my head is killing me, Prongs," moans Sirius. "Why'd you have to give the girls _all_ of our stock?"

"_What?_ We only had that _one_ bottle?" cries James. "I thought we had a _whole_ stock!" Sirius shakes his head.

"We used that all _last_ _year_. We had gone to the bar about every other night!"

"In retrospect, I'm surprised alcohol poisoning hasn't sunk in yet," Remus mutters.

James groans. His head hurts as well but it is not throbbing since he had not had as much as he normally would have had. Still, if Lily and the others are okay then he does not mind. He wonders though if she is upset about last night.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily walks through the common room and up the boys' staircase leading to the dormitories, much to the seventh years shock. She makes her way to the sixth year dormitories and knocks on the Marauders door.

She only waits for about two seconds before Remus comes to the door and opens it. He looks surprised when he sees her.

"Hey Lily, what's up?" he asks puzzled.

"Can I speak to James for a moment?" she asks. He nods and moves to the side so she can enter. She comes upon what looks like a volcano erupted and took something or someone captive. There are clothes covering almost the _entire room_. Lily is fairly certain that none of the boys have ever seen their carpet. The only spot that is not messy is the little island around Remus' bed.

"How do you guys live like this?" asks Lily, jumping into her OCD nature. She waves her wand and says an incantation that sends everything back to where it belongs.

Sirius stares at Lily incredulously. "How can _you_ live so neatly? It's so much harder to find stuff when it's where it's _supposed_ to be!" He glares at her. "Get her out of here." James snorts and Lily rolls her eyes.

"You're ridiculous. Anyway, I didn't come here to discuss personal hygiene with _you_. Actually, could I speak to you for a moment James?"

Remus nods before James can and practically drags Sirius out of the room with Peter tottering along in their wake.

"Wait! I want to hear what happens!" calls Sirius. They can hear a faint "NOOO!" from the common room. James chuckles.

"So, what's up?" asks James, sitting down on his bed and patting a spot for Lily next to him. She sits down next to him and looks at her hands. When he notices this he feels a nervous pit grow in his stomach.

"I just wanted to say…thank you for last night," says Lily sincerely, and James is taken aback. "Thank you for _only_ bringing me up to my room and not…_doing_ anything."

James looks seriously into her eyes, penetrating through her.

"You'd know I'd never take advantage of you Lily," he says. "I'd never do anything you weren't – ready for and I'd never do something that you'd regret."

Lily smiles. "I know, and that's what I like the most about you." She hesitates and then asks. "What exactly _did_ happen?"

James laughs. "We got back to the common room eventually in one piece. Then you –" He falters.

"What?" moans Lily. "What did I say?"

"You told me to bone you," James whispers. Lily turns a dark shade of red. "Like I said though, nothing happened even though you asked repeatedly." His playful grin is back on his face and Lily cannot help but laugh.

"Well when you put it that way it's too bad I can't remember it," she says dryly. "I'd better head off to make sure none of the others fell back to sleep," she said, getting up and straightening her skirt. "Oh, and the girls and I wanted to thank you for the tonic that you gave us. Actually…we didn't drink it all so here you go." She tosses it to him. "I figured you'd need it more than we would," she teases.

James catches the bottle gratefully and takes a sip from it. He immediately feels better and pockets it to give to the others at breakfast.

"See you in class," says Lily, kissing him on the cheek and then walking out of the room.

James nods. "Yeah, see you in class," he whispers to himself after she has gone.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: I know this is ridiculously long but I didn't realize when I was combining to make it longer that I would be adding so much. **Please review!**


	22. Unexpected Visitors

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 22 – Unexpected Visitors

The rest of March passes uneventfully. Gryffindor defeats Hufflepuff in a Quidditch Match ensuring their victory of the Quidditch Cup _again_ as long as they beat Slytherin by more than two hundred during the game at the end of May.

Lily and James' relationship is gradually growing into something more each day. She is becoming more comfortable than she ever imagined she could be around him since his birthday and she is sure that she is falling, if possible, harder for him. The fact that he had not done anything that night when she had practically begged him too gave her a warm feeling. A feeling of protection. A feeling of _love_ and she feels great knowing that the feelings are so obviously reciprocated.

It is the last day of March that they decide to become open about their relationship. Before then they had been keeping it on the down low but they cannot take it anymore.

"You're sure you're ready?" James asks her as they stand outside the Great Hall during lunchtime.

"More ready than I've ever been in my life. You?"

James nods also, a grin on his face as he takes her hand.

"Prepare yourself." They both take a deep breath and hand-in-hand, they walk into the crowded Great Hall.

At first there is no reaction, people being too busy talking and eating, but then the chatter and the clanging of silverware stop. All eyes are on James and Lily with mixed emotions.

There are the obvious people who are staring at them in shock and look like they are in a dream because no one in a million years expected Lily Evans and James Potter to ever get together.

Then there are the girls from the "James Potter Fan Club" who are glaring daggers and Miranda, who looks about capable of breathing fire. They ignore her though.

In his own category is Severus, whose heart is breaking loud enough for the entire hall to hear if they just look at him. He catches Lily's eyes and she smiles sadly at him, and he looks away. It has happened and he cannot believe it anymore than he can take it.

And then there are the final group of people who look as though Professor Dumbledore has announced that there are no exams this year. Those people consist of the obvious: Alice, Marlene, Margaret, the Marauders, the entire shocked Hogwarts staff, and a few other people who are unimportant.

Professor Dumbledore looks the happiest out of the entire room though and is the first to stand up and start clapping. The rest of the shocked staff follow his lead and begin clapping also, it turning into thunderous applause as more and more people join in.

Lily looks up at James beaming to see that he is doing the same down on her. Cupping her right cheek, he leans down to kiss her, resulting in even more noise. The clapping echoes throughout the Great Hall like thunder and soon almost everyone is on their feet.

Professor Flitwick is wolf whistling and jumping up and down on his seat excitedly. Professor Dumbledore's eyes are twinkling full-bore and Professor McGonagall has tears of happiness, shocking everyone, in her eyes. Hagrid is beaming brightly at the two of them and banging his fists on the table, which results in it splitting in half. The only Professor not cheering is Clemons, who looks like he swallowed a lemon.

Lily and James finally break apart, red-faced and grinning, and make their way over to where their friends are sitting. They sit down next to each other, still hand-in-hand and smile amused as their friends beam at them.

"I'd say it's about time but –" begins Sirius.

"You'd end up with pumpkin juice as a hat," jokes Lily, and the others laugh.

"Congrats you two," says Remus, and both Lily and James turn to smile at him. He lifts up his glass of pumpkin juice. "To new beginnings."

"New beginnings," everyone choruses.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

March then turns into April and the whole population in the castle stays in most days. That old rhyme 'April Showers bring May Flowers' gives new meaning to the storms that roar outside the castle. It is quite ironic considering all that is happening with the war right now. The only thing that can match the raging storms outside is the other storm outside. Though this storm is being fought not between thunder and lightening but between the Order of the Phoenix and Voldemort with the help of his Death Eaters and others. Each day Sirius will scan the obituary to see if anyone whom they know has died and more than once there has been a familiar name even if they have never met them. It has also become the norm for one or two students to receive a black, Ministry owl that brings bad news and for the student who receives it to run out of the Great Hall and not be seen for several days.

So that is why, even though it is now Easter holiday and most are leaving the school, most people are in lousy spirits. The fifth and seventh years mainly because their rigorous exams are steadily approaching and the rest because they know Voldemort will not take a break so they can enjoy their holiday. Lily feels especially sorry for the first years. They have never been here at a worse time and have never known what the castle was like during the Marauders and the girls' first year. Everything used to be so carefree and the only concern was whom liked whom and whether or not Professor McGonagall would spring a pop-quiz on them.

Now, there is a whole different aura, a much more dangerous one that is literally life or death. These younger students will never know what it is really like to have fun, to not have to worry about whether or not their family will be targeted next or whether or not they can go out alone. Now, all Hogsmeade trips have been canceled until further notice, not that first and second years can go anyway, due to the recent Death Eater attacks.

Now, it is April tenth and in a few minutes they will all be boarding the train to go to the Potter Manor for the Easter ball. Lily is packing up all of her belongings, including a dress she had purchased out of a magazine, and closed her trunk.

"Come on guys, we're going to miss the train if we don't hurry up!" exclaims Lily.

"Hey Lily, can you help me with this?" asks Marlene. She is sitting on top of her trunk but it will not close.

"For Merlin's sake Marlene, I'm lighter than you! We're all going to have to sit on this." The others nod.

"On three we jump on it," says Alice. "One…two…THREE!"

They all hop on the trunk to close it but it just goes down and flings them off and onto the ground. They land on top of each other in a painful heap.

"We're going to need a guy to help us with us," grunts Margaret.

"Did someone say a guy? Here I am!" says Sirius, bounding into their room.

"How is it that you're _always_ here when we mention a guy and/or Marauder?" asks Lily.

Sirius shrugged. "Fate, I guess."

Marlene rolls her eyes. "Do you think you could close my trunk? We all tried jumping on it but it won't budge."

Sirius snorts. "There's no trunk that I haven't been able close before. Stand back ladies." The girls roll her eyes but do as instructed. Sirius pushes up his sleeves and rubs his hands together. He walks up to the trunk and pushes it down with one hand. The girls gape at him.

"How the hell did you _do_ that?" gasps Lily.

Sirius smirks. "Skill, determination, and –"

"A Quidditch captain that practices his sorry arse off six days a week," snickers James. He is leaning casually on the doorframe. Lily feels the familiar jet of chills run down her spine and smiles at him.

"Should have figured," she says turning to the girls. "You can't get one heartthrob without the others as backup." James grins roguishly but Sirius looks mortally offended.

"I'm _wounded_, Lily-bean," says Sirius, collapsing onto Marlene's bed. "You think Prongs will ever be the equivalent of _moi?"_

"Of course she doesn't! I'm _way_ better looking than you!" teases James. Everyone laughs at Sirius' devastated expression, especially Lily. She whips out her wand to levitate her trunk but James flinches.

"What?" she asks confused.

"Sorry, force of habit," he replies. "I'm so used to you cursing the living daylights out of me whenever you take your wand out that fast."

"Guilty conscience, eh?" smirks Lily. "No matter, I could always hex you if that's what you _really_ want me too."

"Hmm, kinky," snorts Sirius. Lily waves her wand and he falls silent. He pouts and the others laugh.

"Only if you hex my eyes so they can never look away from you," counters James. Lily blushes and her friends "d'awww" and she levitates her trunk.

"Come on," she repeats, taking James' hand happily. "We're going to be late."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The nine sixth years, this including Frank, board the train and find an extra large compartment so they can all share. Lily is amazed to find them doing this. If she had been told last year that she would be thrilled to spend a train ride with the Marauders she would have accused the person of being mental.

"See Lils? We don't bite," James says lovingly. He wraps his arms around her and she laughs. "You _do_ love us!"

"Don't ruin it," she grins playfully. Everyone laughs and that is when they hear a growl that has been emitted from the doorway. Severus is standing there looking livid.

"Get your hands off of her Potter," he snarls.

"Why don't you make me Snape," growls James. "And here I thought we were having a nice patch. I can't believe I thought you would allow Lily to be happy after finding out we're dating."

"We were fine until you began putting your filthy, Blood-Traitor hands on her," Snape spits. "And she can do so much better than _you_." Lily's eyes flash and she stands up in a quick movement with her wand steady on him.

"Get out," she growls. "And don't you _dare_ say that about James especially considering he's worth about a million of _you_." James beams as Severus turns from red to purple.

"You're honestly falling for his act?" he splutters. "He's just going to hurt you Lily!"

"No he won't, that's just you, Severus," she whispers, tears forming in her eyes. James grabs her hand and gives it the squeeze she needs. "I thought I knew you Severus but you turned out to be like all those Slytherins. Stuck up, pretentious, and hurtful."

"I told you I was sorry though!"

"Sorry doesn't make things better especially if you do the same thing again!"

"Why are you even here, Snivellus?" sneers Sirius. "I was under the impression that you hated going home for the holidays."

Severus glares at him with the utmost loathing. "Not that it's any of your _business_ Black but I'm only returning _home_ on business." He says the word "home" with such disgust that he might as well be talking about the equivalent of gum on ones shoe.

"So in other words you're going to be going to Voldemort's headquarters," says Margaret in disgust. He ignores her and turns back to Lily.

"I merely came here to try and warn you again about events that are going to be happening soon," he says. "But I can see that I've overstayed my welcome so –" he begins to leave.

"Wait," says James warily. "What's going to happen soon? Does it have to do with Voldemort?"

Severus cringes at the use of his master's name and glares at James. "No, no. I'm obviously not wanted here…"

"Cut the rubbish, Snape," sneers Sirius. "We all know your dying to tell us."

"Dying being the key word," says Severus, balancing as the train makes a sharp turn. "The Dark Lord will kill me if he knew I revealed his plans. I'm sure you know that the Dark Lord is a skilled Legilimens?"

"Rumours," says Lily shrugging.

"If you're not going to tell us then get out," says James, standing up next to Lily. "Or we'll _make_ you."

Severus shrugs. "My friends are probably wondering where I am anyways. Consider yourselves warned." With that, he leaves the compartment that now holds thoroughly confused Gryffindors.

"He's only trying to psyche us out," says Alice wisely as they eat their lunch. "If we get all paranoid then he's just playing his cards right and Voldemort wins."

"Did I ever tell you how smart you are?" asks Frank.

Alice pretends to think hard. "I don't think so."

"Funny, you'd thought I would have." They all laugh as the compartment door opens again. They each have their wands at the ready in a matter of seconds but lower them when they realize it is only Jessica.

"Wow, I had nine wands trained on me," says Jessica, doing a quick headcount. "I can really feel the love in this compartment."

"We just had an encounter with a Slytherin so we were making sure none came back," explains Remus.

"If you hadn't announced yourself we probably would have hexed the shit out of you," smirks Sirius, and Peter nods.

"Why are you even _here_, Jessie?" asks James irritably.

"Aw, does ickle Jamsiepoo not want me hwere?" coos Jessica in a playful baby voice. "I just came to congratulate the happy couple." Lily smiles but James looks annoyed.

"I've told you a million and one times _not_ to call me that," mutters James. Something seems familiar about that name to Lily but she cannot put her wand on it.

"You used to always let grandma call you that before she was killed."

"Your grandmother was killed?" says Lily, her heartbreaking for James. He nods.

"Last year by Voldemort," says James darkly. "We used to see her every holiday and even more before school started. She used to call me that all the time and I hated it but didn't have the heart to tell her. _That's_ why I hate when people call me that."

Comprehension dawns on Lily. "And _that's_ why you hate it even more when Miranda calls you it? Because it feels as if she's tarnishing the memories of your grandmother that you still have left?"

James nods and does not say anything since he feels too choked up and does not trust himself to not break down. Jessica wraps her arms around her older brother and hugs him.

"I just got an owl from mum telling me to tell you all that dad was able to arrange Ministry cars to pick us up," says Jessica, breaking the tense silence.

"How are we _all_ going to fit in a Ministry car?" asks Margaret incredulously.

"Well, I'm not going," points out Frank. "My mum is picking me up at Kings Cross." Alice smiles sympathetically at him, knowing that his mother is a _very_ formidable Witch.

"That does still leave nine of us," points out Marlene.

Jessica shakes her head. "Ten. My twin Jarred will be joining us as well. Get ready to have the happiness sucked out of you."

"Why do you say that?" asks Alice.

"He's been miserable since John and our grandma died," explains James. "He also hates me."

"Why would he hate you?" asks Margaret shocked.

James shrugs. "Things got bad after John died because everyone was on edge but we were okay. It was only after grandma died that he wouldn't talk to me anymore. We're also almost the same person."

"Sounds like when two people are exactly the same they can't get along," comments Lily, tracing circles on the back of James' hand.

Jessica nods and sits down next to her. "They've been on edge since grandmother died and her will came out leaving James with a lot of her possessions. Jarred always said that he was robbed of the family heirlooms."

"Which is a load of rubbish considering how much money he _already_ has," smirks Sirius. Peter snickers and Remus rolls his eyes. James only nods and falls silent so Lily looks out the window absentmindedly.

"It looks like we're almost to the station," she comments, standing up. Everyone looks out the window as well.

"Come on, let's get our stuff together so we can get out of here quickly," suggests Frank. "The last thing we need is to run into more Death Eaters." They all nod and Jessica leaves to go back to her compartment where her friends are.

Ten minutes later the train comes to a complete stop. They all leave their compartment, most levitating their trunks because they can now, and go in pairs through the wall. Lily goes with James; Sirius with Marlene, Remus with Margaret, Frank with Alice, and Peter with Jessica. Once they are all on the other side they begin looking for Dorea except for Frank who pulls Alice to the side for a moment and Lily who pulls James aside.

"What's up?" asks Alice confused. "Aren't you supposed to be meeting your mother at one o'clock sharp?"

Frank grins. "She can wait for a few minutes." He leans and kisses Alice making the butterflies erupt in her stomach. She responds immediately and runs her fingers through his hair.

"OI! Lovebirds! Get a room!" shouts Sirius from behind a pillar. They both jump apart and blush furiously.

"Sirius! Get out of here!" barks Frank. Sirius snickers and runs back to join the others search for Dorea.

"Eejit," mutters Alice. She grins up at Frank and is about to kiss him again when he stops her.

"Alice, I was wondering…" he begins awkwardly. "How would you feel about meeting my mother?"

Alice feels her heart drop to her stomach. She is sure Mrs. Longbottom is a lovely woman but that does not dismiss the fact that she is also frightening.

"I'm only asking because we've been dating for a while now and I think that since I've met your family you should meet mine," he continues.

"Oh Frank, I'd love to meet your mother," begins Alice. "Really, I would but…I promised Lily that I'd help her prepare for the ball and…well, I'd better go find them all before they leave without me!" She says this all in a rush of an excuse. "I promise, I'll meet your mother next time though!" She kisses him on the cheek and runs off after where Sirius had ran, leaving in her wake a disappointed Frank.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Are you okay?" James asks Lily as she pulls him away from the others.

"I was about to ask you the same question," she says softly.

James shrugs, looking away from her as he does so. He does not want to meet her sad gaze.

"Do you need to talk about anything?" she asks, taking his ignoring her in stride.

"No," he says shortly. He groans at turns to look at Lily who does not look angry but is staring at him hardly. Great. "I'm sorry Lils, I just can't. Every time I talk about one of them I feel like I can't breathe and I start…" he trails off.

"Crying doesn't make you weak James," Lily sighs, looking at him pointedly. "I learned that from the best."

James rolls his eyes but smiles lopsidedly at her.

"You listen to what I say?"

"It's been known to happen."

He smiles and kisses her sweetly. She smiles in the kiss but is the one that ends it.

"Come on, we'd better get going before the others leave without us," she says, and he nods. "Merlin knows that Kings Cross is the last place we'd want to be stranded."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I _can't_ meet his mother," complains Alice once they are all unpacked at the Potter Manor. "She scares the hell out of me!"

"Alice, you're being silly," says Margaret who is laying on her bed, flipping through a magazine. "If you're serious about Frank then you'll have to meet Mrs. Longbottom _eventually_."

"We'll cross that bridge when we have to," says Alice stubbornly.

Marlene looks out the window. "Looks like you're going to be doing that now." Alice looks at her alarmed. "Look who's outside at the front door."

All four girls squish around the window to see Frank approaching with his mother. They cannot see his mother's face but only the stuffed vulture on her head.

"I can't go meet her! I might be the next stuffed animal on her head!" wails Alice. "Lily, please can you tell Dorea I'm not feeling well and I can't come down there?"

Lily sighs. "You owe me big." Alice grins as Lily speeds down the stairs.

"Dorea! Dorea!" she cries. She finds her in the kitchen just as the doorbell rings.

"What's wrong, Lily?" Dorea asks concerned. She has been cheerful ever since her sons and daughter have returned home with the others. Her and her husband were ecstatic when they found out Lily and James are together and have been treating Lily even more like a daughter ever since. She begins to walk to the door but Lily stands in front of her.

"You have to tell Mrs. Longbottom that Alice isn't feeling well enough to meet her," says Lily anxiously. She looks over her shoulder as the doorbell rings again. "I'm sorry, we'll explain later." She runs back up to the top of the stairs where the others are and listens as Dorea opens the door.

"Whatcha doing?" asks a voice behind them. They jump about a foot when they see James behind them.

"Shh," whispers Lily and they turn around again.

They hear her greet Mrs. Longbottom and Frank cheerfully and then hear Frank saying something. Dorea responds in a quiet voice then nods sadly and bids goodbye and closes the door.

"What was that about?" whispers James.

"Long story," replies Alice. "We'd better –"

"Lily, Alice, Margaret, Marlene, I know you're up there," calls Dorea, coming to the foot of the stairs. "Care to explain why I had to break a boy's heart?" She does not sound angry but more confused about what has happened.

Alice sighs and walks a few steps down. "I _can't_ meet Mrs. Longbottom yet. She scares me to pieces!"

Dorea smiles kindly. "Augusta Longbottom may be a extremely formidable Witch but she can also be very friendly. I've talked with her on several occasions and I think she only wears that revolting hat to let people know not to mess with her. I'm sure she'll love you, Alice." Alice smiles.

"Is she coming with Frank to the Easter Ball?" asks a voice from the top of the stairs.

"James Charlus Potter, how many times have I told you not to eavesdrop?" sighs an exasperated Dorea.

"Who cares? It's not like I bother to listen," teases James. Dorea rolls her eyes.

"_Yes_, she's coming to the Easter Ball and I suggest you meet her then Alice and get it over with." Leaving them standing on the staircase, she walks back to the kitchen.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The Easter ball has finally arrived and Lily is getting ready with Margaret, Alice, and Marlene.

"So what are the rules again for these kinds of balls?" asks Lily.

Alice thinks for a long moment. "Don't stare at anyone for too long. Especially like _that_," she says, indicating to how Lily is staring at James' necklace. Lily flushes.

"People honestly care about that?" says Lily shocked. Alice nods solemnly.

"Most of these woman who come are shallow and self-absorbed and will trash you if you make one wrong move," explains Alice. "Trust me, I've heard them. Also, don't try to draw attention to yourself and don't speak unless spoken to. If you are, even then only say the bare minimum – and always enunciate; that's very important."

Lily and Margaret are staring at her in shock. Being a Pureblood also, Marlene has had these rules drilled into her since birth so she is hardly listening.

"Never and I mean, _never_ decline an offer to dance, if someone tries to cut in, let the man you are dancing with make the decision. When we go to eat, watch me before you touch anything and mirror whatever I do because there is certain silverware to be used for different things. Compliment whatever you can, but never overdo it or they'll see right through you. Always stand and walk with your back and shoulders straight and your head high, meet people's eyes, don't fidget," Alice's closes her eyes, ticking off everything she has said and checking if she missed anything. "Oh yes, when we go to the stairs, we will all have an escort to lead us to the bottom, and each of us will be announced."

"Why wasn't that done for the Christmas ball?" asks Marlene.

Alice shrugs. "They usually save it for Easter. Don't ask me why. Oh, don't ask too many questions, you don't want to appear that you don't know what's going on."

"When we're escorted down, Frank will be with me and Remus with Margaret. I'm assuming James will take you Lily and Marlene you'll be with Sirius or Peter. Personally, I think you'd be best with Sirius, you two make such a cute couple."

Marlene flushes but looks pensive.

"Come on! We don't have all night; we need to finish our hair and makeup before it starts. Oh, and never be late for anything!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Are we escorting the girls down?" asks Sirius.

James nods. "Remus is with Margaret, I'm with Lily, Frank is with Alice, and either you, Sirius, or Pete is going to go with Marlene."

"I'll go," says Sirius automatically. Peter nods and James looks suspiciously at him.

"You and Marlene seem awful friendly lately," he says slowly. He remembers the conversation Sirius and him had month's back and wonders if anything has come from it.

Sirius shrugs, trying to look nonchalant. "We're just going through a nice-patch I guess."

"Whatever you say," says Remus. He has been rather subdued lately but that might be because of the full moon coming in a week. Anyone who knows him can tell he was going through hell and looks sickly but if you do not know him you would think nothing is wrong other than a few sleepless nights. He has decided to put on a mask tonight so no one will look too closely at him and jump to any conclusions. This is the last place he wants people to find out about his lycanthropy.

"My mum isn't coming, is she?" asks Sirius. He tries to sound like it is an offhand question but all three other Marauders can tell he is a nervous-wreck.

"I don't know, she's never accepted an invitation before," says James warily. Sirius still looks nervous and slightly paler but does not say anything else.

"Come on, we'd better meet the girls at the staircase," says James anxiously, straightening his tie once more. "It wouldn't do to be late." The other Marauders nod and followed him out of the room.

"Hello ladies," says Sirius suavely when the four girls make their way out of the room. James mouth drops and his eyes widen when he sees Lily, even though according to Alice it is impolite to do so.

"I – you – look – wow," he settles for. Lily smiles nervously and accepts the arm he offers.

Frank has just met up with them and walks over to Alice who looks terrified. Whether it is because of the ball itself or the prospect of meeting his mum, Lily is not sure.

Remus offers his arm to Margaret who takes it nervously as well and Sirius offers his to Marlene, who takes it probably the most hesitantly.

"You okay?" whispers Sirius. Marlene nods, trying to ignore the anxious butterflies in her stomach.

"Just nervous," she says.

"Don't be, you'll be fine."

"Frank," says Alice a short distance away. "Can I meet your mother tonight?"

Frank grins widely. "I was wondering when you'd meet her," he says relieved. "At first I thought you didn't want to meet her."

"It's not that I didn't _want_ to but I was nervous," says Alice quietly.

"Nervous? Of what?"

Alice shrugs. "I don't know. I guess she just scares me."

Frank laughs. "She scares a lot of people."

"Are you okay, Lils? You're shaking," says James concerned.

Lily nods but she is secretly terrified. "I-I'm just cold, that's all."

James places his cheek on her forehead and she feels her heartbeat go off on a high-speed chase. They are so close that she is sure he can hear it too but it does not matter anymore.

"You feel warm. Are you sure you're okay?" Lily nods and he lets it go reluctantly. He instead plants a kiss on it, making her feel better.

Remus and Margaret have been silent the whole time, not knowing what to speak about. It is Remus who breaks the silence.

"You look great," he whispers, and she smiles slightly.

"You don't look too bad yourself," she whispers back. "That is, except for the fact that you're white as a sheet. Next week?" He nods. "Where do you go every full moon?"

"Sorry but I can't tell you that," he says ruefully.

"Can't or won't?" asks Margaret. Remus is strongly reminded of when he had said the same thing to Dorcas.

"A little bit of both," he says, feeling like a broken record. "Dumbledore doesn't want me to tell anyone and I don't need you wandering around near the place during that time of month."

"I don't know why you're so nervous," says James. "You're going to be the prettiest one here." Lily feels herself relax a bit more and smiles warmly at him.

"Oh really? I'm not so sure about that."

All of a sudden they hear, "Presenting Frank Neville Longbottom escorting Alice Claire Prewitt," the announcer, a tall man with a deep voice, calls to the audience of guests.

They all watch the pair descend the stairs and Lily is positive she has never seen anyone look so graceful and elegant. She can see some woman glaring at Alice but probably because she looks so pretty tonight.

Lily grips James' arm tighter, knowing who will be next now.

"Just relax," he breathes. Lily can feel his hot breath tickling her ear.

"Presenting James Charlus Potter escorting Lily Marie Evans," the man announces and James leads her down.

Lily can feel the disapproving stares of the woman in the crowd of guests and stands her straightest just to prove them wrong.

"Ignore them," whispers James. "Most of them are just bitter because they wanted me to bring their daughters down since the moment I took my first step."

Lily laughs lightly. "Well, they'll just have to grin and bear it, won't they?"

"That's my girl."

They watch with Alice and Frank as the announcer says, "Presenting Remus John Lupin escorting Margaret Jeanette Smith."

As the light hits them, Lily can see how sick Remus truly looks. That is probably only because she knows him though. Margaret looks like she is glowing and seems less nervous than she had been back in the room. Remus whispers something to her and she laughs softly.

"And finally, presenting Sirius Orion Black escorting Marlene Kathleen McKinnon," finishes the announcer.

"I know we're in the spotlight but don't these people have anything better to look at?" whispers Sirius. Marlene laughs lightly.

"All I see are the girls gaping at you in your tux," she says, grinning and masking her jealousy. Sirius snorts although he knows if anyone heard him they will be scandalized.

"Please, you know you're the only one for me," he whispers seductively into her ear. She feels her face flush slightly.

"Stop making me blush. The woman here are glaring at me," she says half annoyed, half amused as they reach the bottom.

"Oh, but darling, making you blush is all part of the master plan!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The seven of them are standing in their group in the corner. Alice is skirting around with Frank acting the part of the social butterfly in order to make a good impression. She meets up with her parents at one point and they talk to Frank for a little while before she says they have to go off again and meet some Ministry people. She can see that her parents are proud that she is acting her part but that is all she will ever see it as – acting.

"Do you want a drink?" asks James to Lily. She raises an elegant eyebrow.

"Alice told us we aren't supposed to go for refreshments first thing."

"Who do you think I am, Lils? Do you honestly expect me to listen to all that rubbish about 'proper ball etiquette'?" he snorts. Lily smiles.

"Then I guess I'm lucky that I'm with you tonight," she smiles. "That way we'll get first pick of drinks."

James grins. "Great minds think alike."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"'Oo 'eez zat girl with James?" asks Isabella Rodriguez to Margaret. She is Margaret's age but she attends Beauxbatons Academy instead of Hogwarts.

"That is Lily Evans," says Margaret, making sure to speak clearly. "She is a friend of mine."

"Oh, well 'e could do much better 'zan 'er 'eef you ask me," says Isabella snootily. "Are zey dating?"

"Yes," replies Margaret coolly. "They just started."

"Ah, so she 'eez a – what do 'ou zey Brits call 'eet? – a tramp?"

Margaret bites her lip to stop herself from saying something nasty. She looks over to Remus who is standing with Sirius now talking.

"No she is not. He likes her a lot and she finally said yes."

Isabella follows where Margaret's gaze is before and raises her eyebrows when she sees Remus and Sirius

"Who is _zey?"_ she asks, evidently impressed.

"Remus Lupin and Sirius Black," said Margaret stiffly.

"Zey are veery good looking too!" crows Isabella. Margaret is strongly reminded of Miranda and how she seems to like every boy that crosses her path.

"Do you not have a date to get back to?" asks Margaret, masking her irritation skillfully.

"'Oo, you're right! My Adonis is awaiting me!" she squeals and runs off with her friends. Margaret resists the urge to roll her eyes at the squeaky bitch and turns around, almost bumping into Remus.

"Hey," he says smiling. "What's wrong? You looked like you had an encounter with a piranha or a jackal."

"Eh, a little bit of both," says Margaret honestly. She pulls him aside and tells him all that had gone down between her and Isabella. Remus resists the urge to snort at the last part when she runs off.

"Don't let her get to you," he says. "She just wants what she can't have." He smiles as she laughs and leads her back over to the others.

There is a sounding trumpet and everyone turns, confused to see what is happening and who is being introduced so late.

"Presenting Jonathon David Roberts escorting Leona Anastasia McKinnon and Orion Arcturus Black escorting Walburga Irma Black," says the presenter, barely hiding his distaste for the latter couple.

Sirius' parents and Marlene's mum with her assistant walk down the staircase and although Sirius and Marlene know that it will result in him getting many disapproving stares, their jaws drop down to the floor.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	23. Danger

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 23 – Danger

_Sirius' parents and Marlene's mum with her assistant walk down the staircase and although __Sirius and Marlene know that it will result in him getting many disapproving stares, their jaws drop down to the floor._

Walburga Black dismisses her husband for the time being and makes her way over to her now illegitimate son whom she has not seen in nearly over a year.

"Hello Sirius," she says coolly. She is only talking to him because she knows it will make her appearance better. Sirius seems to know this as well and gets over his initial shock. He narrows his eyes and glares at her.

"Why are you talking to me? Trying to impress someone into thinking you care about your son?" he snarls.

"Don't you talk to your mother that way!"

"Oh, but you're not my mother anymore, remember? You've already disowned me, there's no need to keep up appearances." His friends gape at his audacity.

"You are a _disgrace_," she hisses. "You became a Gryffindor and before we knew it you ran away leaving those filthy pictures on your bedroom wall _permanently!"_

"I'm glad I did so that way you'll always know how different we are," he growls. "Face it, you knew it to be true for years and it took you sixteen and a half to finalize it. Believe it or not, this is better for me than it will ever be for you and your family."

"And now you're associating with Blood-traitors and filthy little Mudbloods," she sneers, running out of ways to try and knock him down. "And I thought you could sink no lower. You spent more time in the Potter's more than your own!"

"That's because Charlus and Dorea Potter _are _actually pleasant to be around and treated me like an actual son," retorts Sirius. "And don't you _dare_ call any of my friends those filthy names. They will _always_ be worth millions of you."

Walburga has nothing to say, incapable of coming up with any argument that he will not be able to throw back at her. She gathers her extensive amount of dignity and walks back to where her husband is waiting for her. Orion Black just stares at Sirius and his friends with distaste and then walks away whispering to his wife.

"I'm so sorry, Sirius," says Lily. Margaret, Marlene, and Alice nod.

"Don't be," says Sirius tersely. "Didn't you hear me? I'm better off without them." He pulls Marlene in, forgetting that they are keeping their relationship a secret but no one thinks oddly of it. Marlene wraps her arm around his waist and the others smile, James patting him on the shoulder, until…

"Hello daughter," sneers a voice from behind her and Sirius.

Marlene grimaces and gives the others a significant look. None of them have met her mum before but they have heard plenty about her to not be disappointed.

Marlene turns around and comes face-to-face with a woman who looks like her only older, more wrinkled, and less friendly. Leona McKinnon is one of the most self-centered, narcissistic, stereotypical Pureblood Witch that there is. She had Marlene by accident when she was only nineteen years old with a man who is no longer in Marlene's life. Marlene hardly remembers her father except for one occasion when she heard him and her mother having a screaming match over her crib.

"Hello…_mother_," she says, sarcasm dripping from her lips but her mum ignores it. Marlene then turns to her mum's assistant/butler Jonathon and says more warmly, "Hi John, how are you?"

Jonathon is like the father Marlene never had but is also like a brother and a best friend to her. Marlene _did_ have a brother but that is another story for another day.

"Good to see you again Miss McKinnon," he says, bowing to her but Marlene sighs exasperated.

"I've told you a million and one times to call me, _Marlene_."

"So sorry Miss McKinnon." Marlene rolls her eyes and her mother narrows her own at her daughter.

"Do not roll your eyes in public and stand up straight, you look like a troll," she snaps.

Lily exchanges a shocked look with Alice and Margaret. She then looks at Sirius who looks like he is about ready to spit fire.

"And who are _you_ all?" she asks snootily. All of them look at each other, silently wondering who will be the first to introduce themselves.

"I'm James. James Potter," says James, extending a hand. "And this is my sister Jessica." Mrs. McKinnon takes both of their hands but as though she is afraid there are germs on it. She pretends to be sincere, however, since they are the children of the hosts.

"Pleasure," she says airily. She turns to look at the others in disdain. "And you?" Lily looks at the other and then says:

"Lily Evans." Mrs. McKinnon smirks slightly.

"Ah, yes. The Muggleborn."

James opens his mouth to say something that he would most likely regret but Lily touches his arm. He closes his mouth and settles for scowling at Mrs. McKinnon.

"Margaret Smith."

"Alice Prewitt."

"Oh, yes. I met with your parents the other day. Lovely people." Alice forces a smile on her face.

"Remus Lupin."

"Peter Pettigrew."

"Frank Longbottom."

They finally get to Sirius and all eyes are on him.

"Sirius Black," he says, trying to hide his immense dislike for the woman in front of him.

His name sends Mrs. McKinnon's perfectly done eyebrows up to her hairline, something she has never approved of doing. She then gives a scrutinizing look at the hand that lays on her daughter's waist.

"You did not tell me that you have a boyfriend, daughter."

Marlene clenches her teeth. She swears, sometimes she is not even sure if her mum remembers or even acknowledges the fact that she _has_ a name. It pisses her off to no end though she would not admit it to anyone.

"He's not my boyfriend," lies Marlene. She looks at Sirius out of the corner of her eye and see that he is giving her mum a hard look. She inwardly sighs because she knows it is rightfully so. Why does her mum have to ruin everything for her?

"Then why is his –" her mum begins but she is cut off to Marlene's relief. It is later though that she would have rather dealt with her mum than what she _did_ have to deal with.

"Presenting…" says the announcer yet again.

"Who is coming this late?" asks James confused. Lily shakes her head. Something looks off.

The announcer's face is bubbling and contorting like he has taken –

_Polyjuice Potion_.

"We've got to get out of here," says Lily anxiously.

"Why?" asks Remus. He cannot see over the gathering crowd.

"That's not the announcer," gasps Lily horrified. "That's –"

Voldemort.

" – The Death Eaters," says the "announcer". He has shrunk in size and his normal skin has turned pearly white. His brown eyes are now red and his nose looks like it is going into his head.

Everyone gasps.

Voldemort and his Death Eaters have gotten in.

Spells and curses begin flying and Lily's head starts spinning. She barely registers James yelling to her that they have to get out now or that her friends are trying to get through the throng of party guests. All she knows is that there are people she cares about here and she has to help protect them, student or not.

She breaks out of James' grasp and runs towards the staircase, whipping her wand out from her stocking as she does so.

She dodges the multiple colours flashing too close. She nearly gets hit by a Killing Curse but thankfully ducks in the nick of time and shoots a curse of her own at a masked Death Eater. They block it and send one back at her, which she deflects.

"Deprimo!" she cries. The Death Eater, caught off guard, is pushed painfully to the ground. As he or she goes down, his or her mask falls off only to reveal the deranged face of Bellatrix Lestrange.

Brilliant.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"LILY! NO!" shouts James. She has broken out of his grasp and has ran directly into the line of fire. He will never be able to forgive himself if she dies, especially in his own house. He has an intake of breath and feels his heart nearly stop as she narrowly dodges the Killing Curse and watches as it ricochets into the wall, breaking off pieces of it. He breathes out again and is about to take after her when he is pushed and shoved in the other direction by frightened guests.

Brilliant.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sirius grabs Marlene's hand instinctively just as the Death Eaters and Voldemort have been revealed. They run and duck behind a couch just as the chair next to it bursts into flames. He pulls her again and they run outside where many are going over the borderline to Disapparate.

"What are we going to do?" asks Marlene. "We've had maybe three Apparation and Disapparation lessons. Plus, where would we go?"

"I thought it was obvious," says Sirius grimly. "The Dark Forest is where the borderline ends of where you can't get into Hogwarts. The other Marauders mastered Disapparation by our third try."

"Our friends…"

"They'll be right behind us," he says urgently. "Come on!"

Before she can protest, they turn on the spot and disappear with a pop.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice and Frank are being pushed to and fro through the crowd, making it very difficult to escape out the exit.

"Come on, I know a back way," says Frank. He grasps her hand tighter and pulls her through the Potter's empty kitchen, which has remained unscathed so far. They run out the slider and onto the deck where Frank holds her hand even tighter and the two of them Disapparate.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily shoots yet another curse at Bellatrix but it is deflected and hits the chair, causing it to burst into flames. This is getting dangerous. They have to get out of here now of they will all be trapped in the room. She knocks Bellatrix off her feet and as she tries to remove herself from the rubble, Lily shoots several Aguamenti spells at the chair. It is only singed a little but Lily amends that it can be fixed easily if the Manor does not come down on them first.

"Sectumsempra!" shrieks Bellatrix. Lily is not fast enough to deflect it or jump out of the way. "Now we'll get to see how filthy your blood truly is!"

It is pain that Lily has only experienced on one occasion before, and that is when Severus was told to use it on her. She still has some of the scars from it. Apparently Severus has taught his fellow Death Eaters how to use it and also how to make it stop. Bellatrix fixes the wounds to Lily's surprise, in a soft, singsong voice.

"Want another dose of it or would you rather die and get it over with?" she sneers.

"_Personally I'd rather have it up and over,"_ thinks Lily. Then she thinks of all her friends and James. "_But I have far too much to live for and no way in hell am I going on her terms."_

"Well?" asks Bellatrix impatiently. "Die fast or slowly? It's your choice."

"Bite me," growls Lily, and Bellatrix smirks.

"If you insist. Fenrir!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James runs around the ruins of his home, trying to find both his parents and Lily. He cannot find Professor Dumbledore either who he was certain would have arrived by now.

He jumps over several bodies but he does not recognize any faces. Until…

"REMUS!" he shouts. "MARGARET!"

He breathes relief as he sees the two running towards him; one, one of his best mates and the other who he considers a sister in every way that counts.

"Have you seen my family or Lily?" asks James hurriedly.

"No, we haven't – wait, _Lily's_ missing?" cries Remus. Margaret's eyes fill with tears. She cannot lose _another_ person close to her, _especially_ not Lily!

"She ran off to fight Bellatrix and I bet you anything they knew she would be here tonight," says James, suddenly more panicked. "Voldemort has been targeting her more than anyone."

"Lily will be alright," says Remus, squeezing Margaret's hand. "She has to be one of the strongest women I know." Margaret nods just as more Death Eaters pile into the room.

The three whip around with their wands at the ready, all ready to duel to kill. Spells and curses fly back and forth across the room, each with an increased ferocity than the one prior to it.

Remus is off in one corner dueling two masked Death Eaters who have to be twice his size. Then there is James who is fighting three Death Eaters, all three of them having lost their masks. It is he against the Carrows and Severus.

"YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH!" roars James when Severus' mask falls off. "HOW COULD YOU? HOW COULD YOU JOIN THESE BASTARDS IN FIGHTING WHEN BELLATRIX COULD HAVE KILLED LILY BY NOW?"

Severus has an intake of breath as he deflects another one of James' curses. He had tried to warn Lily not to come tonight…

"I told her that she should make up with you and this is how you repay her?" yells James.

"_Make up_ with the Mudblood?" Amycus sneers. "You're bluffing!"

"Severus knows that the Dark Lord is out to kill the Mudblood," crows Alecto. "He knows that she has been a target since last Christmas!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Meanwhile, while James is yelling at Severus, Margaret is off fighting the final Death Eater, Rodolphus Lestrange.

"Your name is Margaret Smith, correct?" he sneers. "Ah, yes, it was _I_ who killed both your brother and your parents."

Margaret feels her blood run cold.

"Well I guess I'll be avenging them tonight," she retorts, sending a Stunning spell at him.

"Not with those spells, you won't," smirks Rodolphus. "The only way to win is using the Unforgivables."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"This is getting boring," complains Alecto. "How about we make it a little more interesting." The three just nod as the spells and curses let loose.

_"Expelliarmus!"_

_"Crucio!"_

_"Impedimenta!"_

_"Levicorpus!"_

_"Stupefy!"_

The spells and curses go on and on until one cry rings louder and more clear than the others.

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!"_ shouts Rodolphus Lestrange. The Killing Curse soars across the room and everyone watches as it nearly hits Margaret.

"You bastard!" yell Remus and James. James catches the Carrows off guard and sends both of them flying into a wall on the other end of the room. Severus has stopped dueling to see what is happening.

Margaret sends a curse that none of them recognize back at Rodolphus but he deflects it and it instead hits her. She is knocked back into the wall and falls unconscious.

All the Death Eater's run out of the room before anyone can act. James knows that at least his parents are still alive since the protection is still intact.

"Margaret…no. Please…wake up! WAKE UP!" cries Remus, crouching next to Margaret, tears dripping from his eyes onto the ground.

She still has a pulse, albeit a weak one and she is not stirring.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily and Bellatrix are still fighting to kill or, at least in Lily's case, to maim or seriously injure (**A/N: I'm sorry, I couldn't resist XD**). Although there is such an age gap between them, Lily is still holding her for someone not using any Unforgivable Curses. She knows that if she does she will only be descending to Bellatrix's level and that is a level she never wants to succumb to.

"You called, Bella?" sneers a menacing voice. Lily turns around after deflecting one of Bellatrix's curses and her eyes widen in horror. There before her stands the identifiable figure of Fenrir Greyback.

"As a matter of fact I did, Greyback," cackles Bellatrix. "The Mudblood has requested to be bitten so I thought I'd take her up on her offer."

Lily is shaking violently now and Fenrir smirks. Before she can do or say anything, she is pinned against the wall by the werewolf.

"This _will_ hurt," he promises, his mouth stretched into a leer.

Lily screams and he bares his teeth, about to sink them into her thin neck when he is blasted back. Lily slides down the wall and looks up to see a livid Charlus Potter.

"Are you okay, Lily?" he asks concerned. Lily nods weakly. "I think I will escort Mr. Greyback out of here."

"No need," growls the werewolf. He jumps out the open window and lands easily on the ground below, a fall no normal human could withstand.

Charlus runs after him, leaving Lily and Bellatrix alone.

"Why don't you just give up now, Mudblood?" taunts Bellatrix. "We both know it is I who will win!"

"Really? Then how come you haven't won yet?"

"Perhaps she is going to lightly on you," suggests a high, cold voice. Lily and Bellatrix turn around to see none other than the _very_ identifiable…

Lord Voldemort.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Remus is still crying next to Margaret and James does not know if he should leave him alone or not.

"Remus, will you be okay if I leave you here for a moment?" asks James tentatively.

"She's not dead! I can still feel her heart beating!" cries Remus in anguish.

"I know, we have to get her out of here soon though or…" he stops and then switches gears. "I've got to go find, Lily," he says anxiously. She will not react well to finding out her best friend is in serious jeopardy but she at least might know what to do. He cannot leave Remus here though. What if some more Death Eaters come and finish the job?

"Portus," mutters James. A bent, silver key appears and he places it in front of Remus. Remus looks down at it. "Moony, I need you to hold onto this key and Margaret as tightly as you can. Do you understand?"

"Where will it take us?" asks Remus, not answering the question.

"St. Mungos," replies James. "You need to be given a shock Potion and Margaret needs to be observed. Please take the Portkey Moony."

Remus nods reluctantly and grabs both as James instructed and just in the nick of time. A second later all three disappear.

James stares at the spot where Margaret's body had been a moment ago and then remembers the reason he sent them off in the first place…

He has to find Lily and fast!

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Come on, let's go!" shouts Sirius. He grabs Marlene's hand again and runs towards the castle with her. While they are running she stares at him in awe.

"I can't believe you learned to Disapparate so well!" she says in shock.

He smirks. "Always the tone of surprised. It's like you doubted my abilities."

Marlene smirks. "Of course not, there's nothing that you can't do. Trust me, I've seen _everything_." He looks down at her and winks before breaking into a faster run.

They make it to the front door, which is surprisingly open but do not get up the stairs before Professor Dumbledore comes jogging down.

"Ah, Sirius, Marlene, your timing is impeccable," says Professor Dumbledore. Sirius is impressed. For a man of his age he has excellent stamina, knowing that he probably ran from his office. "I heard there was a Death Eater attack at the Potter Manor?"

Sirius nods. "Voldemort is also there, sir. He had taken a Polyjuice Potion and was acting as the announcer."

Professor Dumbledore does not look surprised as Sirius had expected him to be. He just nods and instructs them to get up to their common room and stay there.

They both nod and him and Marlene go in the opposite direction from Professor Dumbledore.

Sirius just hopes everyone, especially their friends, are okay.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily's eyes widen at the sight of Lord Voldemort. She never was quite able to erase the mental image of him from their time in the forest. He is quite a fright without those red eyes staring down at you with utmost loathing. His pearly white skin does not do him any favours either, yet Lily has no idea what could have transformed a man so horribly.

"I take it you have not forgotten me," sneers Voldemort with a smirk. "Yes, not many do but _you_, Miss Evans, have proven to be more trouble than you are worth."

"You murdered my parents and held James and I hostage," says Lily quietly. Voldemort nods and looks out the window at the sky.

"The Aurors and that old fool Dumbledore will be coming soon," he comments, also quietly. His back is turned to her.

Silently and in her head she says, _"Expelliarmus!"_ Before he knows what is happening, his wand flies out of his hand and she catches it. He turns around to face her with some surprise.

"I see Dumbledore has been teaching you all how to do silent charms." His surprise is now gone and he is smirking again. "Very good, Miss Evans, but I'm afraid I don't need a wand to control my magic." He swishes his hand through the air and his _and_ her wand fly out of her hand and she flies back into the opposite wall. She can see stars dancing around in front of her eyes and rubs her smarting head.

"I doubt Dumbledore's taught his students _that_," leers Voldemort, carelessly twirling both his and Lily's wand.

Lily does not see what happens next but hears a roar of fury and a deafening crash. She opens her eyes to see smoke filling the room but there are two figures standing. Both are male and Lily then realizes that the stranger has made the chandelier fall down on Bellatrix (**A/N: Foreshadowing? ;)**).

"Ah, and here is the Potter brat," says Voldemort like he is on a game show as the smoke clears. "Yes, you're parents fought bravely –" Lily's heart sinks. Where is James' mother? His father was just here…

"What did you do to them?" James growls.

"They escaped and Apparated to the Ministry, but not before running all over trying to find their 'precious' son."

James breathes a sigh of relief and then notices Lily trying to escape the rubble. He runs over to her to help her up.

"Thanks," gasps Lily.

"No problem," mutters James. Catching her off guard, he kisses her on the lips and then turns back to face Voldemort who looks disgusted. "What are you still doing here?"

Voldemort's laugh is as cold as an ice cube with frostbite in the middle of winter…in Antarctica…during the second ice age. It makes the hairs on the back of Lily's neck stand up and James shiver.

"What am _I_ still doing here? My God, boy, I'm going to kill you and your girlfriend!"

"Then why haven't you already?" challenges James. "Why have you been making all this small talk? Why haven't you disposed of us already like you've been trying to do for month's on end?"

Voldemort clutches his wand tighter and brings it up in front of him.

"As you wish," he says. "_Avada_ –"

**BOOM!**

The door crashes down and in come a bunch of Aurors, including Professor Dumbledore. They all begin dueling with Voldemort.

"Lily, James, get out of here now!" shouts Professor Dumbledore.

"But sir, we want to –" begins James.

"Get out! Go to St. Mungos, there's something you need to see there!"

Lily looks confused but then comprehension dawns on her. Somebody has either died or is gravely injured…

"Portus," says James again. This time an old shoe appears and they grab onto it. A second later, they feel a tug from behind their navel and they are whisked off to St. Mungos.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice, Frank, Jessica, and Peter are waiting in the common room when Marlene and Sirius walk in. They immediately release each other's hands but none of the four had noticed.

"Are you guys okay?" asks Alice, standing up anxiously. "Where are Lily, James, Margaret, and Remus?" She stands on her tiptoes as though she is sure the others are hiding behind Sirius.

"They didn't come back already?" he asks concerned.

Apparently this confirms Alice's thoughts. She succumbs to tears and Frank wraps his arm around her.

Suddenly there is a crack and to their surprise, Professor Dumbledore's face appears in the fire. He coughs up some ashes.

"Sir, what's happening?" asks Alice, getting up and kneeling in front of the fire. The others kneel next to her as well.

"You all have to go to St. Mungos immediately," says Professor Dumbledore solemnly. "We came dreadfully close to losing one of ours and you'll need to be there for your other friends, Remus in particular."

"Remus -?" begins Sirius. Before they can ask any more questions, however, Professor Dumbledore's head disappears.

"What's going on?" asks Marlene.

Frank has an idea but he hopes it is not true.

"Come on, we have to get there and see what's going on," he says urgently. Sirius nods.

"Portus."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily and James arrive in St. Mungos to see it packed with people; some hurt and others visiting sick or injured ones. They see healers wheeling patients around on gurneys or stretchers and people with multiple problems waiting in the waiting room or on line. It is then that they see a familiar face.

"Mrs. Longbottom!" cries Lily. The healer stops and when she recognizes Lily and James walks over to them with surprising speed.

"Hello Lily, James," she greets wearily. She suddenly becomes alert. "Have you seen my son?" They shake their heads but right on cue there is a:

"I'm right here mum."

The turn around to see Frank, Alice, Peter, Marlene, Jessica, and Sirius standing there.

Augusta Longbottom hugs her son, relieved that he is alright. Afterwards is when she notices Alice.

"Are you Miss Prewitt, the girl my son has been seeing?" she asks, and Alice nods.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Longbottom," apologizes Alice. "I had told Frank before we came down that I wanted to meet you tonight but everything got so crazed and –"

"Quite all right, dear," says Augusta briskly. "I'm just glad I finally met you and you're not a figment of my son's imagination."

Everyone laughs and she turns to Frank. "You're right, she is very pretty." Both Frank and Alice blush.

"_Mum_," mutters Frank. She shoos him.

"Never mind that though," sighs Augusta. "There's something you all need to see." She indicates for them to follow her and they oblige, albeit very confused and nervous about what they are going to see.

They walk up to the fourth floor and into a room that is separated from others. In there is Remus lying on a bed asleep and…

Margaret.

She looks peaceful, clearly in a deep slumber but Lily feels her entire body go cold and begins swaying. She feels a pair of arms envelope her and realize they belong to James.

"Is she…?" begins Marlene terrified.

"She barely made it," whispers Augusta. "It appears that she was hit by an unknown curse that she cast herself."

Alice and Marlene were leaning over her, trying to fix her hair idly, which was all ratty now from being moved around. It is a miracle that she made it out of this alive.

James turns to Augusta who is standing in the doorway.

"Is Remus going to be okay?" he asks. Everyone's eyes turn to the werewolf.

"Remus! What happened to him? He's not –" Lily's eyes fill with more tears.

"No, he is just suffering from shock," says James before Augusta can answer. Lily looks at him curiously.

"How do you know?"

"I was there," says James thickly. He feels like he was choking on his own saliva. "I-I was th-there when the killing curse nearly –" He cannot finish though and Lily hugs him tightly. He hugs her back and the pair of them walk over to Remus' bed, now knowing that Margaret is alright they are not able to continue to stare at her unconscious figure.

Just then, Remus' eyes flutter open.

"James…Lily," he says groggily. His voice sounds cracked from strain. "What's going on? Where am I?" He suddenly becomes more alert. "Where's Margaret?"

Lily's eyes fill with tears again and James squeezes her tightly.

"You're in St. Mungos, Remus," she says, her voice shaking.

"And Margaret?"

"She barely made it out."

Augusta sighs and pulls back the curtain shielding Margaret from Remus. He gasps and the tears start leaking from his eyes again.

"Oh, Margaret," he whispers, not bothering to wipe his eyes. James pats him on the shoulder but Remus turns away from Margaret. It was just too painful to look at her right now. He is relieved that she is still alive but right now she looks like a shell.

"If all goes well she should wake up in several hours," Augusta says wearily. "Then we shall do some preliminary questions, starting with the obvious and moving forward."

"Such as?"

"Well, for one we need to know if when she was hit whether or not Miss Smith was pregnant."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Changed a lot but this will be better. Please review!


	24. Revealed and Helpful Advice

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 24 – Revealed and Helpful Advice

"_Well, for one we need to know if when she was hit whether or not Miss Smith was pregnant."_

The whole room is silent. No one stirs but everyone stares at Augusta like she is crazy.

"Pregnant?" croaks Remus. They all look at him and notice he looks as white as a sheet. All the colour that had returned to face leaves as quickly.

At that moment, Margaret begins stirring and her eyes flutter open, similar to how Remus' had. Everyone gasps and turns to look at her in shock.

"Margaret," Remus breathes. She looks slowly over at him, her eyes disoriented and far off.

"Welcome back Miss Smith," greets Augusta gently. "Do you know where you are?"

Margaret is silent for a moment and then nods slowly.

"St. Mungos Magical Maladies and Injuries."

"And do you know your name?"

"Margaret Jeanette Smith. I'm seventeen-years-old and in my sixth year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Lily is relieved that she remembers who she is and asks the question that Augusta was about to ask.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Margaret is silent again and Lily can tell that she is racking her brains for an answer. She must have got it though because her eyes flash and fill with tears.

"Rodolphus Lestrange," she growls, her fists clenching. "He tried to kill me and is the one that murdered my family." Marlene pats her reassuringly on the shoulder.

"He'll pay for what he did soon enough Margaret," she says determinedly.

"Miss Smith, I have to ask you some more questions," says Augusta, and Margaret nods and turns to look at the Healer. "Are you pregnant?"

Margaret opens her mouth to respond and then her eyes widen.

"I – I don't know," she whispers, and the other's eyes widen in shock.

"You've had sex?" cries Alice. Margaret nods, embarrassed beyond belief. "With whom?"

Margaret looks down at her covers and does not make eye contact with Remus. He, however, is the one to speak up.

"Erm – guilty." Everyone turns to look at him in shock and then look at Margaret's beet-red face.

"We'll need to test you to see if you are indeed and if you are, whether or not the baby withstood the curse you were hit with."

Margaret nods numbly and does not make eye contact with anyone. Augusta kisses Frank and, leaving the others stupefied, brings her out of the room.

"Remus, what's going on?" asks James. Lily looks at him and does a double take. He is leaning against the wall and resembles an old man, very much his father.

Remus looks at them all but Lily can tell he is not seeing any of them.

"It's my fault," he says slowly and dully. "I got Margaret pregnant. We had sex more than a few times."

No one says anything and no one looks at anyone. Just then though, Alice turns to Frank and studies him.

"You don't look surprised," she notes. "Did you know they were having sex?" Frank sighs and nods, cursing his revealing face.

"I opened the common room door and saw them the day of Lily's birthday when you wanted me to go check how much they had done."

"You knew that long?" cries Sirius. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I had talked to Remus and it wasn't my secret to tell," shrugs Frank. Alice turns away from him hurt. She thought they tell each other _everything_. "Alice, I –"

She shakes her head. "I'm going to go for a walk," she says. "Call me if anything happens." Lily and Marlene nod and watch her leave. Frank looks at them helplessly and runs after her.

"You guys didn't know about this too, did you?" Lily asks James, Sirius, and Marlene. They all shake their heads though Sirius and Marlene exchange a look, silently discussing things through body language and their eyes. Lily and James turn to look at Remus.

"Did any of this with Margaret go on during your brief period with Dorcas?" asks James. Remus looks at him as though he is surprised to find him standing there.

"The first time we kissed, and only kissed, was when Lily and Sirius were in that storm drain," says Remus. "I don't remember really if we kissed any other time. I broke up with Dorcas relatively soon after out of guilt. I didn't want to hurt her."

James nods and sits down, rubbing his temples.

"How could you let this happen, Remus?" he asks wearily. "How could you let it go that far? Did you guys even think of using protection?"

Remus stares at him, knowing he has every right to be upset. Frank warned him this would happen, yet he let it escalate until the breaking point and that has been Margaret's near death experience.

"N-No," stammers Remus. "I was an eejit, Prongs. I wasn't thinking straight and I might have created another monster."

"Remus! Don't talk about yourself or your unborn child like that!" cries Lily. She turns to see Marlene and Sirius still arguing silently over something. She turns back to Remus. "You can't honestly be glad that the child you and Margaret may have may have _died?"_

"Not glad, relieved," says Remus bitterly. "Lily, don't you know that the Ministry doesn't allow Werewolves to breed? It's illegal and I'll get both Margaret and myself in all types of trouble!"

"Margaret knows of your condition and what she is getting herself into," says Lily.

"I'm sure Margaret realized the Werewolf Regulations," says James. "She must care so much about you that she didn't care." Lily nods and turns to look at Sirius and Marlene again.

"Is there something you'd like to tell us?" asks Lily. "You both are red in the face from trying to communicate silently."

Both Marlene and Sirius turn to look at her, then look at each other again.

"You?" she asks.

"No, you," he says stubbornly.

"You've wanted to longer," she argues.

"Tough."

"YOU!"

"NO, YOU!"

"For Merlin's sake, someone tell us!" cries Remus.

Marlene sighs. "How?" she mouths.

Sirius just shrugs. "Fine, I'll tell." He turns to the others. "Marlene and I have also had sex."

"_WHAT_?" cries everyone in the room.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Alice! Wait, please!" calls Frank. Alice walks faster and Frank has to sprint to catch up with her. "Alice…please…let me explain!"

Alice stops abruptly and turns around on her heel. She has stopped so suddenly that Frank almost runs into her.

"Explain to me then, Frank," she says icily. "Explain to me how even though you said we will tell each other everything you kept this from me. Explain, if anything, why you didn't convince Remus and Margaret to tell us! Most importantly, explain to me why Margaret's near _death_ experience is the only reason we know of this!"

By this point she has tears in her eyes from pent up frustration and hurt. Frank makes to grab her shoulders to steady her but she backs up so he cannot. Hurt, he decides it is best to explain.

"Alice, I wanted to tell you," says Frank. "I hated the fact that I couldn't –"

"You _could_ have," argues Alice.

Frank shakes his head. "Like I said before, it wasn't my secret to tell. I had called Remus out on it one day off to the side on the Quidditch pitch," Frank goes on. "He had been shocked that I knew but relaxed when I told him I wouldn't tell anyone."

_-Flashback-_

_"Hey Remus, can I talk to you for a moment?"_

_"I know about you and Margaret."_

_"W-What?"_

_"I know about you and Margaret. Right before Lily's party a few weeks ago I saw you and Margaret…on the couch."_

_"How much did you see?"_

_"Enough to never sit on that couch again. It's pretty unfortunate too because that used to be my favorite one."_

_"Did anyone else see us?"_

_"No, just me. Don't worry though, I don't intend to tell anyone, not even Alice. I do have one question for you though. Were you doing any of this before you broke up with Dorcas?"_

_"We weren't doing any of __that__, if that's what you mean. That was the first time. We had shared a kiss or two though before."_

"_You know Remus, secrets like these have a way of getting out. They always do and they have a way of hurting more than one person."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Come on Remus, I know you're not an eejit. I'm guessing you haven't told any of your friends about this by your reaction to me knowing? I doubt they're going to be too pleased when they find out two of their best friends have been getting it on without them knowing."_

_"They probably won't be too impressed that some of this was going on before you broke up with Dorcas. I could see something like this from Sirius, Lord knows he's probably doing it now, but you? This isn't you, Remus."_

_-End Flashback-_

"Wow," whispers Alice. "Well you're right, none of us _are_ very impressed."

"I know I should have told you, Al, and I know that I made the biggest mistake ever. Please forgive me though and don't let this get in the way of our relationship!"

Alice looks at him sadly. "I'd like to be all right with you Frank, I really would. The problem is…I don't know if I can trust you."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Marlene looks at Sirius incredulously.

"Way to break it to them easy," she says sarcastically.

"I could have done a slideshow or drawn a diagram," says Sirius dryly. Marlene makes a face. He turns to the others. "In other words…"

"Sex is a sensation caused by temptation where a boy sticks his location in a girl's destination to increase the population for the next generation. Do you get my explanation or do you need a demonstration?" Marlene slaps her forehead and everyone groans.

"How long have you guys been together?" asks James wearily. How many more secrets will there be?

"Our first kiss was after we spent our time playing The Sirius Black Game," explains Sirius.

"It kind of just escalated from there," adds Marlene. "It was on and off though. Sometimes we hated each other, sometimes…we didn't."

"That explains so much," says Peter. Everyone laughs uncomfortably.

"Did _you_ guys use protection?" asks Lily worriedly.

They shake their heads. "We've only had sex twice though…" begins Marlene. "That _is_ enough though…I don't know, I should really check to see if I'm pregnant or not."

"Ugh, am I the only one who hasn't lost my virginity yet?" asks Lily.

"Nah, I'm pretty sure Alice hasn't either," says Sirius grinning. "That could all be changed though." James groans and Lily smacks Sirius.

"Don't be a prick," she says, but she is smiling also. "James and I will do _that_ when we are _ready_."

James heart skips a beat and he turns red. Lily looks worriedly at him, afraid she overstepped boundaries, but he smiles reassuringly at her. She smiles also but it fades as easily as it came. "Do you think Alice is okay?"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

She has left Frank standing in the middle of the crowded corridor and feels horrible. She wants to believe him, she really does, but how can she trust him after keeping such a big secret? That is not even the part that upset her the most though. Margaret's near death is the only reason the truth came out. That and the fact the _Margaret_ has also been keeping this a secret. How _could_ she? Margaret is no eejit, she would have known it would have hurt all of them, especially her, when they found out she has been lying about her relationship with Remus.

Now, Alice has taken her troubles to the roof of the hospital, mainly to get some fresh air. She takes a deep breath and can see her breath come out of her mouth. She shivers even though it is nearing the end of April. It had rained earlier and she has not changed out of her dress. It is torn in several places from running through the destroyed Manor.

This cannot go on. She will have to tell Frank that he will have to somehow make her forgive him or…

Their relationship will be over.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I'm going to go look for Alice," says Lily worriedly, when no one answers her. "She seemed really upset when she left."

"I'll come with you," says James, not wanting to stay a second longer than he has to in the room. "Marlene, you really should check –"

"I know, I know, I'll go now and ask Augusta," sighs Marlene. She pecks Sirius on the cheek, glad that she can do so freely now, and walks out before Lily and James.

They walk out after her but walk in the opposite direction.

"Where do you think she is?" asks Lily.

"I don't know, she's your friend," points out James.

"My friends are your friends and your friends are mine," says Lily logically.

"Should we check the tearoom then?"

"Sure, we have to start somewhere."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Remus looks out the window so he will not have to look at Sirius' solemn stare. He has a lot on his mind though and does not need to be read.

"Why'd you do it, Moony?" asks Sirius suddenly. "Why'd you not just tell us that you and Margaret were – dare I say it – doing the deed?"

Remus looks at him and can tell he has rehearsed his line in his head before saying it. He smiles wryly.

"Because we both knew this would happen," says Remus. "I also knew you guys wouldn't be impressed about what had happened with Dorcas."

Sirius nods. "You're right. I would have expected something like that to happen to James or me. Well, maybe a few years ago before he really fell for Lily. Not you though, Remus. I thought you were better…smarter than that."

"Frank said the same thing to me that day on the Quidditch pitch," sighs Remus. "He said…I fancied myself being like you." Sirius looks at him surprised.

"Do you?"

Remus shrugs uncomfortably but he then get a playful glint in his eyes. "What were you exactly that day when we were waiting for you on the Quidditch Pitch?"

Sirius turns slightly pink. "Erm…we're talking about _you_, Moony –"

"And now I'm tired of talking about my mistakes so we're talking about _you_," retorts Remus. "When did you and Marlene get together anyway?"

"I told you guys, right after we played The Sirius Black Game."

"You mean the date 'em, drop 'em game?" asks Remus innocently. Sirius smirks and punches him on the arm.

"Shut it," he says. "_Anyway_, after you guys went up we just started arguing again –"

"I know, I could hear you guys from upstairs," smirks Remus. Sirius ignores him.

" – And before we knew it we were kissing," he says dreamily. He realizes this and flushes. "It was spur of the moment I guess."

Remus nods. "Yeah, that's kind of how it was with Margaret and I."

"So how did everything come together with you two?" asks Sirius uncertainly.

Remus looks over to where Margaret's bed is supposed to be and vaguely wonders if she has received the test results yet.

"We were talking back when you and Lily had been stuck in the storm drain," begins Remus.

_-Flashback-_

_"Why wouldn't Dorcas like you? You're so easy to get along with."_

_"I think she was mad at me for dancing with you back at the ball."_

_"Why? It's not like we were ever together."_

"_But she – loves you and for some reason she feels threatened by me."_

"_But so do you."_

"_You must think a lot of yourself if you think I love you."_

"_Who says I was referring to that?"_

_"Is that why you blushed when Sirius called us Mr. and Mrs. Lupin?"_

_"Maybe. You did too though did you not?"_

_"Sirius was just being an idiot."_

_"Oh."_

_"Margaret, look at me. Please Margaret!"_

"_I'm not judging you Margaret and I certainly do not want to send mixed signals anymore. I know that you and James are not really dating."_

"_How -?"_

"_He told me. But that's not important. He – He let slip that you like me."_

"_I specifically asked him not to say anything! What was he thinking?"_

"_No, I'm glad he told me."_

"_Oh, really? Yes, so we can have a big talk about it. You lot seem to always do this so you can drag it out, no matter how awkward it may be but I just don't see the point –"_

"_Margaret, I'm glad he told me because I feel the same way."_

"_Remus, you shouldn't say things you don't mean."_

"_It's the truth. Merlin knows that I have tried to deny it, tried to look the other way, not because of you but because of me. But for the past few days I haven't been able to go through a day without thinking of you. Your smile, your beautiful eyes…"_

"_How do I know you're not just saying this because you feel guilty or like you owe me?"_

"_Trust me, Margaret, I don't usually tell people how I feel about them unless I truly mean it. Especially if they are deep, growing feelings due to my…condition."_

"_You mean your lycanthropy."_

"_If you feel differently now because of knowing that, I completely –"_

"_Are you mental? Remus, I've liked you since the beginning of our third year. Something as minor as you being a werewolf once a month isn't going to stop me from caring about you."_

"_Minor? If you consider being a beast minor, what do you consider major?"_

"_Having a sixth toe? I'm just kidding! Remus, I like you for _you_. The kind, sensitive, and loving guy that you are the other thirty days of the month. That's the person that I have – fallen for."_

_"I like you, Remus. I – l-like you a lot. But you're with Dorcas and I – I understand if you prefer her –"_

_"Just because I'm dating Dorcas doesn't mean I can't like you, Margaret."_

_-End Flashback-_

"That's when she was about to argue with me and I took the opportunity to lean in and kiss her," says Remus quietly. He puts his forehead in his hands. "It was a mistake getting into this with Margaret. All it did was drag me into an unhealthy relationship that benefited neither of us and now Margaret might be pregnant. That'll change _everything_ and it's not fair to her."

Sirius cannot say anything to that, mainly because he cannot argue with that logic and because he is in the same position.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Mrs. Longbottom?" asks Marlene once she reaches the reception area.

"Yes, dear?" replies Augusta, placing down the quill she had been writing with.

"Could I please take a pregnancy test?"

Mrs. Longbottom looks surprised. "Very well dear, please follow me."

They both walk down the hall and into a poorly lit examining room. Augusta tells Marlene to lie down on the bed and she does as instructed.

"We'll have you a healer in a minute to do the test," says Augusta.

"You aren't going to do it?"

Augusta shakes her head. "It would be best to have a more qualified Healer in that area do it. I might make a mistake."

Marlene nods and watches the older woman walk out of the room. She sighs and lies her head down on the pillow.

If you had told her a year ago that all this would have happened, between Margaret being almost killed and herself hooking up with Sirius, she would have cursed you into oblivion. Now, after the fact, it does not seem too hard to believe. She should have known that Margaret would be targeted after both her parents and her brother were killed and her and Sirius…well, apparently they are good for each other. She does not know what her mum will say though. She hardly reacted well when she noticed his hand on her waist, how would she react to a baby? Besides, she wants her to marry her _first cousin_ Anthony McKinnon.

Marlene thinks that is just plain disgusting and honestly, does not think highly of incest. She knows Sirius does not approve of the Pureblood's marrying system either, of where one marries his or her own relative. Unfortunately, that is what most Pureblood's believe in since if they do not, their line will die out.

Marlene does not care though. She wants to marry for love, not for a family Pureblood line to stay intact. Not that she knows what love is though, she is only seventeen for Merlin's sake! She knows her mother does not know what love is either. She has been with numerous men and Marlene knows that both her and her brother had been accidents. Mrs. McKinnon still has many one-night stands and whenever Marlene calls her out on it, she will complain about a migraine and change the subject.

Just then, the healer comes back in. She looks young and she has long, blonde hair just like Marlene.

"Hello," she says dreamily. "My name is Healer Lovegood."

Marlene holds back a grin. This woman looks like she is floating on cloud nine and has no idea where she is. She has heard of Xenophilius Lovegood though and has heard he has recently wed. Marlene can only imagine what their kid will be like.

"It's a fairly simple procedure," says Healer Lovegood. "I just need to wave my wand over you and I shall be able to see if you are pregnant or not."

Marlene nods, wondering why Mrs. Longbottom cannot do that but decides it is best not to ask questions. Besides, she wants this done as soon as possible.

Healer Lovegood steps over her and waves her wand in a peculiar motion. She murmurs some spells and incantations and when she is finished, her face is void of all expression except the dreamy look.

"Miss McKinnon," she begins. "You are indeed pregnant."

Marlene stares at Healer Lovegood. She was expecting to be pregnant but in more ways than none she had hoped the opposite. It does not change the fact that she will love the baby and try and give him or her the best life that he or she can possibly have. How will she tell her mother though?

Marlene sighs. "Thank you, Healer Lovegood." The Healer nods and steps out of the room, holding the door for Marlene.

She turns to look at the Healer. "Could you tell how long I've been pregnant for?"

"For about two and a half months," replies the Healer. Marlene nods and begins walking back to Remus' room.

So she must have become pregnant after her first time with Sirius. She guesses that explains the lack of her period and the fact that she has felt sick occasionally. She is not as concerned about that though. The more pressing matter is…

How is Sirius going to react when she tells him he is a father?

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"We've searched _everywhere_ for her," says James. "Where on earth could she be?"

"We haven't checked the roof," says Lily anxiously. Both her and James exchange a look before running full speed to the staircase on the fifth floor, leading to the roof.

They reach the top of the staircase and see Alice sitting on the edge of the roof, just gazing out into space. They can both see tears falling down her cheeks.

Lily makes to run and yell at her to get down but James holds her back.

"Let me handle it," he mouths. She nods nervously and stands back as James slowly walks over to Alice. This has to be done carefully because one wrong move will bring Lily down a best friend. Him as well…

"Alice?" he whispers. She turns to look at him slowly. "Are you okay?"

Alice does not say anything for a moment. She then turns back and looks out into the pitch-black sky. There are no stars tonight.

"Frank didn't tell me," she whispers. "He didn't tell me that he knew about Margaret and Remus. I had to find out _after_ she nearly _died_ about it!"

"It wasn't his secret to tell," whispers James. "He was put in between a rock and a hard place to keep a secret for a friend or tell the woman he loves the truth. I'm sure he would have rather done the latter."

Alice laughs harshly and shakes her head as she wipes her eyes.

"Yeah, right," she mutters. "If Frank loves me and wanted to tell me so damn bad then he would have!"

"Remus and Margaret kept it a secret for a reason and only they will probably ever truly understand why they did what they did. I'm not justifying what they did and how they handled it but they were just trying to protect us from ourselves."

"How's that?"

"They knew this would be the end result and so did Frank. You can't honestly believe that they wanted to cause all this discord. If anything they wanted to prevent it as long as they could. Margaret almost dying would have been tragic and we know Rodolphus Lestrange will forever be known as a murderer because of what he did to her family. Trust me, I was there, I heard."

Alice turns to face him again. "It was Rodolphus Lestrange who did it?" James nods. "Did he say anything before she died?"

"I didn't hear too much," admits James. "I thought I heard though that it was _he_ who killed Margaret's family. That's what gave her determination to fight."

"She shouldn't have been in that room!"

It is not Alice who cries this though. Lily, who has been standing quietly in the doorway the whole time, finally steps up.

"I know that Lils –" begins James but Lily cuts across him.

"What Rodolphus Lestrange did to her family earns him a place in Azkaban and hell as far as I'm concerned," says Lily, wiping her eyes. "But Margaret wasn't meant to be targeted! No one was supposed to be targeted by the Death Eaters except for me!"

"Don't say that Lily," says James. "How can you -?"

"Because it's true! Voldemort's been targeting me since last December and it's been pure luck that I'm still alive! I wouldn't have survived that last encounter if it had not been for you."

"I only dropped the chandelier on Bellatrix –"

" – And saved my life before Voldemort could take it," finishes Lily. "Stop making excuses for your bravery James. It's a good trait to have."

James smiles. He turns back to Alice and extends his hand. "Please Alice, come back down."

She looks at his hand and then again at the ground below her. Her eyes widen when she sees how high up she is. She quickly grabs his hand and gets down onto the floor of the roof again.

Both Lily and James exhale the breath they did not realized they had been holding.

"Come on, let's go back downstairs to the warmth," says James. "Perhaps Marlene's gotten the results." Alice looks at him confused. "She also may be pregnant with Sirius' child."

Alice looks at him shocked. "Is there anyone else possibly expecting a child?" she snaps. "Are _you two_ –"

"NO!" they both cry. She looks only a little relieved at this.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Marlene walks into the room, taking a deep breath before she does so. She will just have to come out and tell Sirius. No beating around the bush.

She notices Margaret is back in the room and is staring at the wall. Margaret looks up upon her arrival and smiles weakly at her.

"Where've you been?" Margaret asks her.

Marlene shakes her head, however, and lets her know she will fill her in soon. She walks over to where Sirius is sitting next to Remus.

"Can I talk to you a moment?" she whispers.

Sirius looks up from Remus' now sleeping body and nods. He walks out of the room and into the now empty corridor. It has to be close to midnight now.

"So did you take the pregnancy test?" asks Sirius tentatively. He can hear his heart beating rapidly in his chest and is sure that she can hear it too. Or perhaps it is her heart?

She takes a deep breath. "I took the test," she begins. Merlin, this is going to be difficult. "It's official Sirius…I've been pregnant for about two and a half months."

Sirius' eyes widen. "So…I'm a _father?"_ he croaks. Marlene nods. He seems to be taking it better than she expected.

"Are you keeping the baby?" is his next question.

"Of course! Look, I don't expect you to help me raise this child; I don't blame you if you don't want to. However, I'm keeping this baby and I'm going to give him or her the best life I possibly can."

"Don't be silly, Marley. _Of course_ I'll help you raise our child."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

_-Dream-_

_"I like you Remus, I – l-like you a lot," whispered Margaret. It was like the day she had first admitted to liking him except this time she was standing over him wearing all white._

"_Why didn't you tell me before?" he asked. His voice sounded distant, almost hollow._

"_I was afraid."_

"_Afraid of what? I love you, Margaret!" She leaned closer, indicating she could not hear him. "Margaret! I LOVE you!"_

_She began sliding further and further away from him into the light._

"_NO!" screamed Remus. He tried chasing after her but he was glued to the spot. "NO! MARGARET! I LOVE YOU! DON'T – NO!"_

_There was a flash of green light that did not miss this time –_

_-End Dream-_

Remus wakes up sweaty and panting. The dream seemed so real and yet he knows it is not.

Marlene and Sirius come running into the room. Sirius looks slightly frazzled.

"Are you okay, Remus?" asks Marlene worriedly.

Remus nods. "Y-Yeah. Just had a bad dream is all." He looks at Margaret and sighs with relief when he sees her breathing regular.

Sirius looks at him strangely. "You were screaming bloody murder before we ran in. Are you _sure_ you're all right?"

Before he can respond again; Lily, James, and Alice come running into the room.

"Is everyone okay?" asks Lily frantically. "We could hear someone screaming bloody murder from the roof."

"What's going on? Is everyone okay?" asks Augusta and Frank, walking in.

"Yeah," says Remus, now embarrassed. "I just had a bad dream about –" His voice trails off. Augusta frowns sympathetically and pats him on the shoulder.

"We have your results," she says to Margaret. The entire room falls silent. "You were never pregnant."

Margaret and Remus both exhale and breathe a little easier. Everything is out though now. There are no more secrets left.

Augusta exits the room again and leaves the teenagers, minus Jessica who went back to Hogwarts after finding out the two are fine, in a tense silence.

"What were you guys doing on the roof?" asks Marlene to James, Alice, and Lily.

"You were on the _roof?"_ says Frank shocked. He turns to look at Alice who avoids his eyes. "Alice, what's going on?" She ignores his penetrating stare and addresses Remus instead.

"Are you _sure_ you're okay, Remus?" she asks. Frank looks disgruntled and Remus nods.

"So what were the results, Marlene?" asks Peter randomly.

"Results for what?" asks Margaret.

"Marlene may be pregnant," replies Lily. She looks at the blonde girl, also waiting for her answer.

Everyone else turns expectantly towards Marlene and she nods a confirmation and Lily hugs her consolingly. James looks at Sirius and notices something behind his eyes. One looks like embarrassment and another…fear?

Lily walks back to James and she exchanges a look with him. He wraps his arm around her and squeezes her shoulders. They are close enough that he can smell her vanilla shampoo and turns as Professor Dumbledore comes in.

"Hello all. Good to see you awake Miss Smith," he says to Margaret, who smiles. "You gave all of us, especially Mr. Lupin, quite a fright." Margaret blushes and looks at Remus who nods somewhat curtly and glances at Margaret before looking away again. "I just came to tell you that as much as I know you two would like your friends to be with you tonight, I'm afraid they need to go back to the school."

"Where are my parents?" asks James immediately.

"They are fine," replies Professor Dumbledore. "Your home is currently being repaired and they've gone into hiding for the time being. It would not be wise to send many owls to them."

James nods and Lily squeezes his hand to convey she feels his pain. He smiles at her and squeezes her hand back. Everyone turns back to Remus and Margaret who nod him or her a goodbye. They all follow Professor Dumbledore out and to the fireplaces in the main lobby.

"You can go through to Professor McGonagall's room," explains Professor Dumbledore. "That's where I connected it."

They all nod and James steps in first.

"Hogwarts," he says with perfect diction. There is a burst of green flames and he whisks off to Hogwarts, everyone else following after him.

Once they have all arrived back in the Gryffindor common room, they bid each other goodnight in their own ways and go off to bed, too exhausted to think about anything but sleep.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Margaret and Remus sit in their separate room in silence, both of them letting the news of Margaret _not_ being pregnant sink in.

"I'm so sorry for getting you into this mess," Remus says. The silence is killing him and he is terribly worried that Margaret will never speak to him again.

She looks at him, however, and does not appear angry.

"This isn't your fault alone Remus," she says softly. "You didn't _force_ me into having sex with you. You'd be a right bastard if you did and I would have cursed you into oblivion. No, I made this choice on my own feelings towards you."

"I nearly helped create another monster though," he whispers, the very thought terrifying him. "You and I would have gotten in so much trouble with the Ministry and you would have hated me, and rightfully so." Margaret narrows her eyes at him.

"Don't you _dare_ tell me how to feel Remus Lupin. I could never hate you and I knew damn well what I was 'getting myself into' when we got together."

Remus shakes his head, unable to comprehend how she can have no worry of the Ministry's procedures on Werewolves. How can she be so perverse when recognizing the threats of breeding with him? He could transfer his disease to another living, innocent human being and she does not care?

"Don't get me wrong, I would never want another innocent child to be a werewolf and suffer like you do every month," she says, voicing his very thoughts, "but it has shaped you into the wonderful person you are today. Plus, the world is painted black and white. There are numerous Witches and Wizards that accept people like you."

Remus scoffs. "Whom exactly? You lot? Dumbledore? Don't get me wrong, you guys are the best friends a bloke can ask for and I am forever in Dumbledore's debt for allowing me a place in the castle when no other would but I'd be delusional to think others feel the same way. Face it, Margaret: The school governors would have me out in a heartbeat if they knew what I am. I am a danger to every student and faculty member in the school."

"But only if you flout your disease, which you _don't_." Remus' insides churn guiltily. He _does_ do that though – every full moon that him and the Marauders go gallivanting across the grounds. He _knows_ the risk it poses but chooses to ignore it so he can have a swell old time with his best mates.

"I like you for _you_, Remus," she says wearily. "And I don't know how many more times I can implore that upon you."

She falls silent and drifts off to sleep, leaving Remus to his troubled thoughts and guilty conscience.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily, Alice, and Marlene walk up the girls' dormitory stairs with a feeling of weariness after everything that had happened. That night proved how dangerous the Wizarding World is getting and that no one is infallible. There is constant danger outside the walls of Hogwarts and this is only the beginning.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

As the guys get undressed and ready for bed, they cannot help but feel like something is seriously missing. Rarely are the Marauders separate and when one is missing or gone it feels like a piece of each of them has left with that person. It felt this way when James was in St. Mungos, himself.

"Do you think Remus will be okay?" asks Sirius. He is lying in bed, his head propped up by his elbow and he is staring at James.

James shrugs. "I think he'll pull through but what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you ready to be a father at eighteen?"

Sirius does not answer, mostly because he does not want to lie. No, he is not ready to be a father, mostly because his own life is so volatile and soon he will be responsible for another's. He does not want to screw up this child's life just because he is unstable but he knows he has to help Marlene since he got her into this mess. He knows with all his heart though that she will be a wonderful mother regardless of whether or not she is ready. He wonders where the baby will stay though…

"You okay, Pads?" asks James. He looks concerned and Sirius knows he pities him.

"I don't need pity," he says, voicing his thoughts. "And honestly, no I'm not okay. I just found out that I'm going to be a father and I have no bloody idea how to be one! My own was lousy, how do we know that I won't be the same?"

"Because you're not your father," says James simply. "It'll be rough at first for you, for anybody, but you'll get better Padfoot. Any child would be lucky to have you as their father."

Sirius snorts. "Yeah, 'cause I'm the picture of perfection."

Now it is James' turn to snort. "In what way is anything in this world perfect? We just found that out by watching Margaret nearly die in _my home_. No, you may not be a perfect dad, Pads, but I'm sure you'll still be a damn good one."

"I guess so," says Sirius hesitantly. He rolls onto his back and calms as he hears Peter's, oh-so-familiar snores penetrating through the room. "Thanks Prongs."

"Any time Pads, any time."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: More changes! Please review!


	25. The McKinnon's, Returns, and Cooties

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 25 – The McKinnon's, Returns, and Cooties

Lily wakes up the next morning to the sound of retching. She does not know where the sound is coming from but then it all comes back and hits her in a wave.

_Easter ball…the Potter Manor…James…Marlene being pregnant…Margaret almost dying…_

The last one especially feels like a smack across the face. She had been willing for it all to be one really bad nightmare or a joke, albeit a sick one.

She gets up and walks to the bathroom to see Marlene throwing up into the toilet, her hair dangling dangerously close to the toilet bowl. She pulls it back into a ponytail for her, much to Marlene's surprise (she jumps).

"Are you okay, Marlene?" asks Lily concerned.

Marlene looks up at her and Lily notes she looks as pale as a sheet. She has dark circles under her eyes too, which does not surprise Lily since she did not hear her usual heavy breathing last night. She must have been up all night thinking about the baby.

Marlene shrugs. "Just morning sickness. Other than that I'm perfectly fine."

Lily knows she is not only to fool her (Lily) but herself as well. Lily decides not to dwell on it though since she does not want to upset Marlene.

Marlene stands up and stares at Lily.

"I'm going to visit my mother today before term starts," she says quietly. "I need to tell her about the baby."

"Are you sure you're up to doing it today?" asks Lily. "Even though this baby is a gift, you also need time to get in the mindset and you don't need your mum trying to force one on you."

Marlene shakes her head. "I don't have time to dwell on it right now. I need to tell –"

"It's not healthy to hold your emotions in, Marlene," says Lily.

"I'm fine." Without another word, Marlene walks out of the bathroom and begins dressing in some of her more roomy dress robes. It will not do to show up in something more formfitting since it is beginning to be obvious that she is pregnant.

"How are you going to arrive at your mum's house?" asks Lily.

"You're going to your mum's today?" asks Alice, hearing voices from her bed. "Shouldn't you be -?" Lily shakes her head discreetly and Alice falls silent. Marlene pretends like she did not hear Alice.

"I'm going to ask Professor Dumbledore if I can travel by Floo Powder," explains Marlene. "Besides the fact that you can't Disapparate within Hogwarts, they say it's risky to Apparate when pregnant." Lily and Alice nod. They heard a groan then and turn to the other side of the room. A pair of legs appear and they look up to see the face of Dorcas.

"Agh, you all are back?" she groans.

"Nice to see you too," says Marlene, firing up at once. Lily puts a hand on her shoulder to convey she needs to calm down. She cannot risk getting overexcited and having a miscarriage.

"You didn't go home for the holiday?" asks Lily, trying to keep the conversation somewhat friendly. She knows it is only a matter of time before Margaret comes up.

"My parents went to the Caribbean and I chose to hang back with Mary," replies Dorcas coolly. She looks around the room. "Isn't there another one of you? Where's _Smith_?" She sneers the last word.

"None of your business," says Alice.

"How _dare_ you?" growls Marlene. Lily squeezes Marlene's shoulder that had tensed up at the mention of Margaret. It relaxes but she can still feel Marlene shaking in anger.

"What? What did I do?" asks Dorcas confused.

"Margaret nearly _died_ this holiday," says Lily, trying to keep the anger out of her voice. "She's in St. Mungos and it's a miracle that she's alive. So I guess you're disappointed that Remus is not a free agent."

The shadow that had passed over her face at the mention of Margaret nearly dying intensifies at the insinuation.

"Are you barking mad? Do you honestly think me that selfish and shallow to go after someone who just lost their girlfriend? Don't look at me surprised, I know that he cheated on me with her. I've known for a while."

Marlene is seething. "And now all that matters is revenge, right? You can try and spin your web around Remus once more as much as you want but he'll never come crawling back to you. He's one of the smartest blokes I know and he wouldn't sink that low."

Dorcas' eyes narrow. "I still love Remus –"

"Love is a strong emotion," intercedes Lily. Dorcas ignores her.

" – But you're right. I saw the way he looked at Margaret and unfortunately I know too well that he'll never look at me that way. That being said, you can save your breath about berating me." She gets up and storms into the bathroom and slams the door.

All three girls exchange a look.

"Do you believe her for a minute?" asks Marlene disbelievingly.

"Nope," says the other two girls.

"Me either. I have a bad feeling hell is going freeze over real soon and all of us are going to feel the heat."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

After getting permission from Professor Dumbledore, the Marauders, Lily, and Alice go to St. Mungos to visit Remus and Margaret. They will be released later that day. The hospital only wanted them to stay overnight, however, to make sure they are fully rested, no longer sick, and ready for school again tomorrow.

"Hey mate," says Sirius as they walk into the room. He draws the curtain so them and the girls are separated. This way they can have private conversations. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," replies Remus. He is reading a book that looks about the size of a young killer whale. He seems to be enjoying it though.

"We brought you some butterbeer and Honeydukes since the food here can't be too good," says Peter, handing him a package.

Remus grins and accepts the bag. "Whose idea was it to steal it?"

"Mine, of course," says Sirius, as if insulted that Remus did not know this automatically.

"I tried to stop him," says James jokingly. Remus rolls his eyes, which basically say; 'Yeah, right.' "Okay…so maybe I helped a little…but I left some money and in my defense I _was_ outnumbered."

Remus snorts. "No offense, but it was really a one-on-one match when you think about it." James and Sirius smirk and Peter looks at all three friends in mild confusion, clear at the least that he is missing some joke.

James conjures them each a chair and they sit down next to Remus' bed.

"So, what's going on at the 'all so thrilling' Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?" asks Remus, genuinely curious.

James thinks for a moment. "I heard a slam of one of the girls' dormitory doors this morning, and then later saw Meadows storming down the stairs and out of the common room?"

Remus' mouth thins at the mention of Dorcas.

"Did you find out _why_ she was angry?" asks Remus.

"Padfoot said she was muttering to herself," supplies Peter.

"Yeah, something like…'_still in love…not that low'_," says Sirius, shaking his head. "Looks like someone still has the hots for _Mooony_."

Remus throws his one of several pillows at Sirius.

"Don't even talk to me about that," he mutters, "because I'll tell you right now, I'd never crawl back to Dorcas. I care about Margaret."

"Well good, at least you have some of your priorities straight," says James, somewhat cheerfully. Peter snickers and Sirius lets out a bark of laughter. Remus even manages to crack a half-ass smile, and then looks out the window.

"You're sure you heard 'still in love'?" he asks absentmindedly.

"Positive." Remus says nothing and continues to look out the window at the sky.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Hey Maggie," whispers Lily. Margaret looks up at their entrance, clearly glad that she has company, but grimaces at the name.

"You're lucky that I love you or I'd murder you for using that name." The other girls wince and she looks at them apologetically. "Too soon?"

"A bit." They all sit down around her bed, Alice and Marlene in their own seat and Lily on the edge of Margaret's cot.

"How are you feeling?" asks Marlene.

"Alive and grateful for it," Margaret replies. She looks at Marlene seriously. "You're the one I'm worried about though. How's the baby?"

Marlene shrugs nonchalantly and touches her abdomen.

"Growing as we speak," she smiles. "I just hope to Merlin that he or she does not resemble either Sirius or my parents."

The other girls laugh but Alice's is a bit more forced and Margaret picks up on this. She looks at her friend sadly.

"You're mad at me, aren't you?" she says. "You have every right to be."

"Well I'm glad I got your seal of approval." Margaret winces at the tone of her voice, clearly stung by this. It is a rarity that Alice is rude to anyone.

"She's just a tad sore that you never told us about your relationship with Remus and that we only found out because you nearly…" Lily trails off, biting her lip.

"Died," finishes Margaret bluntly. She turns to address Alice. "You by no means have to approve of our relationship but I hope you will grow to accept it one day. Remus and I care deeply about each other –"

"Was this before or after he nearly knocked you up?"

Lily and Marlene's eyes widen and Margaret looks like she has just been slapped across the face, similar to how she looked after Dorcas did just that. It hurts more now though because it is one of her close friends saying this.

"Before," Margaret says coolly. "Look, I'm not expecting to win any popularity contests right now, Merlin knows if I were holding out for universal popularity I would be waiting for a long time. However, I am not going to ignore my feelings for Remus. It is his choice whether or not he wants to continue our relationship and that is that. If you don't have anything nice to say you would do good to keep your mouth shut."

Not wanting to hear anymore, Alice storms out of the room and down the corridor so that she can return to the castle.

The curtain is drawn back and the guys are there staring at Lily, Marlene, and Margaret.

"You heard that entire thing, didn't you?" sighs Lily. James nods and the others look very uncomfortable.

"She'll come around, she doesn't hold grudges for long," comforts Marlene, and Lily nods. "It isn't in her. She'll usually forget by the morning the reason she is mad."

"I just hope she doesn't do anything rash," mutters Remus. Lily raises her eyebrows.

"Alice isn't one for sabotage or 'revenge' if that's what you mean. She'll come around, she just needs some time to come to terms with everything and repair her relationship with Frank."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Easter was worse than Severus had expected. Why could Lily not have listened to his two warnings? He had told her that something would happen at the party and she got angry with him. Well, probably calling Potter a Bloodtraitor was not the best way to handle it with her around but it just came out. Besides, he was just telling the truth and Merlin knows Potter _will_ hurt her, if not now then very soon. He cannot just sit back and watch the girl he loves and who has loathed James Potter for five and a half years start falling head first for him and is running the high risk of drowning. Merlin knows Potter has run to her already feeding her some cock-and-bull story about his place at the ball making him out to be a bad guy.

There has to be a way to get Lily out of liking Potter. There just _has_ to be…

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I can't believe everything that's happened these past few days," says Sirius, taking a swig of butterbeer. The Marauders are now back in their dormitory alone.

"I can't believe that son-of-a-bitch Snape continued in helping Voldemort when he wants Lily back so much," growls James. "He's not getting Lily back in any way, shape, or form if I can help it." A light bulb goes off in Sirius' head.

_Me thinks I have a plan…_ he thinks, grinning.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Marlene arrives at her mother's Manor around noon that day. She had told the girls she wanted to go alone to deal with her mum. They had only met Mrs. McKinnon on that one occasion, she was sure of that, because clearly her mother does not approve of Lily being a Muggleborn, no matter how smart or kind she is. The only one she had somewhat known about was Alice because she is a Pureblood and the Prewitts and McKinnons are longtime friends. All her mum knows though is that they associate.

Mrs. McKinnon does not know much about her daughter or her late son, Marlene's brother Joseph whom was killed by Death Eaters back in Marlene's fourth year. She spends most of her time either out at social gatherings or hooking up with the latest bachelor. Marlene is disgusted by how quickly her mother goes through men but Mrs. McKinnon will not hear that. No, she is convinced that children should be seen at the least and never heard. Marlene does not even know who her true father is and knows for a fact – her mum had told her – that she and her brother were both accidents.

Marlene learned not to let it bother her though. Her mum can spend her life however the hell she pleases and Marlene no longer gives a damn. If she wants to have random, drunken hookups, fine, but Marlene also knows what _she_ wanted. Marlene wants a _true_ family. One with a kid (whom she is now carrying) who knows who his or her father is and has a stable environment, unlike what Marlene and Joseph ever had.

Marlene often thinks that it was her mother who got Joseph killed, and that he had died long before Voldemort had gotten to him. Her brother and her mum never got on well, both having nastily short tempers and they would often get in screaming matches before her years at Hogwarts.

Then one day when Marlene was nine her brother left. He had left a note for her, explaining that no matter what, he still loves her and he would try and see her as often as he could. That never happened though. Marlene never saw her brother after that and only found out that he was murdered because it was in the _Daily Prophet_. Marlene has long expected anyone to stick around for too long and is not one to believe people when they promise things. In her mind, promises are inevitably meant to be broken.

Her mother never shows any recognition that she had once had a son and Marlene knows better than to bring it up. Whenever she had her mother would walk out of the room and disappear for several hours, leaving Marlene to fend for herself in any way she could.

Anyway, as she approaches her mother's home she cannot help but think about the baby growing inside of her. What will her mother say? She knows her mother will faint when she finds out she will be a grandmother so young and will immediately go for a facelift. She also knows that her mother will in no way help her raise the baby but Marlene is not complaining. She does not want this child to be like his or her grandmother. And besides, she had barely raised Marlene so why would she try to raise another child?

A thought crosses Marlene's mind that scares the hell out of her. What if her mother tries to convince her to have an abortion? She will never do it, of course, but her mother has her ways. She will be furious when she finds out the father too. Sirius is lucky; he has no family to tell. Well, she guesses it would not be classified as "lucky" but easier.

She walks up the steps carefully and rings the bell.

"Jonathon! Go fetch the door!" comes a female voice from somewhere in the house.

Marlene rolls her eyes. Of course her mother feels too important and cannot be bothered to answer the door.

The door opens to reveal Jonathon. Unlike most Wizarding families, the McKinnon's had butlers instead of house elves because Mrs. McKinnon did not want "slimy, ugly little creatures" in her "high-priced, gorgeous house".

"Ah, Miss McKinnon, a pleasure as always," says Jonathon kindly, a slight crease between his eyebrows. "I am not sure now is the best time. Your mother is in one of her moods."

"Hi John," smiles Marlene, hugging him. "It won't take too long I just need to talk to my mum about something important."

Jonathon has been their butler since Marlene was an infant. He is the one who taught her everything she knows, magical and non-magical. He potty-trained her and would sit by her in his free time whenever her mother had upset her. He was also there for her when her brother had left and she only recovered with him for help. He is probably the most important man in her life and always will be.

Jonathon looks hesitant about letting her in but consents eventually and steps aside so she can walk in.

The house looks the same as it has all of Marlene's life. The reason for that is that her mother only lives here during the year and over the summer she will travel so she feels no need to redecorate. What pisses Marlene off is that her mother will complain about how outdated everything is and when Marlene suggests re-furnishing it; she will say that it is a stupid idea and sends her off.

"What are you doing here?" asks Mrs. McKinnon, walking sideways down the stairs. She thinks that it is unladylike to walk forward because _apparently_ it makes a lady look clumsy.

Marlene bites her tongue. "What are you doing here" is her mother's way of addressing her whenever she is not expecting her. Never a "hello, dear" or "how are you?". Always just a question with a harsh back tone to it.

"I want – _need_ – to speak to you," says Marlene, trying to keep her temper in check.

"Stand up straight," Mrs. McKinnon criticizes. "I swear, Marlene, you are becoming more of a boy with each passing day. Look at those robes! They are far too big and baggy!"

_I didn't know you knew my name_, thinks Marlene darkly.

"And do not stare off into space. What are you doing here?" she repeats.

Marlene swallows a smart retort. "I've come because I have some news and I don't think you're going to like it."

"Speak properly when you are addressing your superiors," says Mrs. McKinnon. She sits down on one of her dated sofas and looks down at it. "I despise this sofa, it is far too old and outdated."

"Then why don't you get a new one?" asks Marlene frustrated. This conversation is going nowhere.

"I thought I told you to speak properly," says Mrs. McKinnon irritably. She waves it off and motions Marlene to sit down. "Sit. Now what is this bad news you wish to tell me?"

Marlene sits down and clears her throat.

"You should not clear your throat in such an unbecoming manner," she castigates. "My goodness, no wonder you cannot hold down a boyfriend!"

_Oh, then you'll love what I have to say next_ thinks Marlene dryly.

"Mum, I'm pregnant," says Marlene bluntly.

Mrs. McKinnon shows no emotion whatsoever. She just stares at her daughter as if she has never seen her properly before.

"Jonathon, fetch me a large brandy and my daughter one too," says Mrs. McKinnon carelessly.

"I can't drink," says Marlene incredulously. Was her mother this careless when _she_ was pregnant?

Mrs. McKinnon ignores her and accepts the brandy for herself but waves the other one off.

"Who is the young man that knocked you up?" she asks after a sip.

Marlene cringes at the choice of words. "Sirius Black," she replies warily.

Mrs. McKinnon ignores the fact that she is not speaking "properly" this time and just looks at her strangely.

"So he is your boyfriend."

"I would have thought that is obvious," says Marlene dryly. Mrs. McKinnon ignores her comment.

"You lied to me at the Potter Manor."

"No, I don't believe I did. I never responded."

"How long have you been together?"

"…Since the beginning of the year."

"Well, I never knew you had it in you," says Mrs. McKinnon after a long moment. "Of course, I have always looked forward to being a grandmother, albeit I did not expect it so soon…"

"Oh," is all Marlene can say in her surprise. She is afraid if she says anything else, it will be something she will regret. After all, how would it feel to know your mother looked forward more to her grandchild than her _own_ child?

"But of course, I will be _raising_ the child as my own," she continues.

"WHAT? No!" cries Marlene, jumping up. Jonathon peeks his head in.

"Is everything all right in here?" he asks.

"Yes, of course," says Mrs. McKinnon briskly. "Off you go Jonathon." He chances a glance at Marlene who is still breathing heavily and leaves the room. "Sit down," she tells Marlene coolly. "You do not want to risk yours and the baby's health."

"Oh, please," snorts Marlene. "You don't care about _my_ health. All you want is this baby so you can make it to be like the daughter or son you've always wanted."

"Do not talk to me in that tone –"

"No, I will talk to you in 'that tone' because it's the truth! So answer me this, why would you want another baby so late in your life when you barely took care of the kids that _were_ yours?"

"Perhaps I want to make up for the poor job I did at raising you," says Mrs. McKinnon.

_Of course she doesn't mention Joseph_ thinks Marlene angrily. "Don't try and fool me. I know you only want this baby so you can breed him or her and have a 'proper' heir. Well, guess what? You're not taking my baby away from me and Sirius."

Not giving her mother a chance to say anything else, she runs out of the room and down the stairs, then outside in fury. She walks back to the abandoned house where she had come through the fireplace.

"Hogwarts," she says. She is engulfed in the green flames and is whisked back to the Headmaster's office.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

_Earlier that same day…_

Dorcas slams the door to her dormitory and storms down the staircase.

"How dare they?" she grumbles. "How dare they assume I'd try jumping into Remus' bed after Margaret nearly dies? I mean yes, I'm still in love but I'm not _that_ low."

She barely notices that she almost has a near, head-on collision with Sirius and keeps walking once out of the portrait hole. She had received another note once she had gotten out of the shower this morning. It told her to come to the same old abandoned classroom for a meeting. She had been a bit reluctant to go; worried that one of the others had seen the note, but decided it would be just as unwise _not_ to go.

She makes her way down the corridors and looks both ways before opening the door to the desired classroom. Dorcas walks in to find it barely lit, as it had been last time. She sighs, irritated, and takes a step further in, closing the door behind her.

"Ah, you came," says the mysterious voice. She does not seem surprised but Dorcas had not expect her to be. She has always been a pushover. She has wondered numerous times why she had been sorted into Gryffindor and not Hufflepuff.

"What do you need to see me about?" asks Dorcas.

"It's time we put our plan into action," replies the voice.

"What plan?"

"The plan to take down Smith and Lupin and their friends!"

"Margaret nearly died this past weekend," says Dorcas shrilly.

There is silence. Dorcas can feel the air get tenser and knows what is coming.

"We're still going through with the plan," the voice remarks.

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"N-O. As in no, I'm not going through with the plan. I'm not going to destroy Remus' and his friends' relationships just because you want me to. You won't even reveal to me who you are!"

"I told you, all in good time."

"Time's passed and I've waited long enough. You want to go through with your plan to ruin one of the strongest friendships that you're obviously jealous of, go on ahead. Just don't make me a part of it. You make me sick."

Dorcas turns on her heel and flounces out of the room and slams the door shut. The yet to be revealed "clicker" drums her piercingly, red nails on the desk.

"Who needs her? By the time I'm done with Evans and the rest, Jamsiepoo will be all mine."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Once Remus and Margaret have their release papers signed by their respective Healer, they are permitted to leave the hospital and the four Marauders head back via Floo Powder to Hogwarts.

Professor Dumbledore, who is used to his office being like a railroad track, greets them jovially without even looking up.

Once they get back to the Gryffindor Tower, they supply the Fat Lady with the password (Mimble wimble) and step in, only to find the girls waiting there with some more butterbeer.

"Welcome back, guys!" says Lily, running over to hug them both. The other two hug them as well.

"Wow, I guess we should leave for two days more often," Remus grins.

"You still look pale," Lily observes Remus worriedly. "Is the full moon coming up?"

Remus nods. "On Saturday, five days from now." Margaret wraps her arm around his waist and he smiles down at her and plants a kiss on her head. Alice looks at the two of them in annoyance.

"Do you want me to take notes for you in Transfiguration, History of Magic, and Charms on Thursday and Friday?" asks Lily.

Remus nods gratefully. "We all know that you're the only one who will _actually take notes_," he says, staring pointedly at his friends.

"I don't need to take notes in Transfiguration, Charms is boring, and I sleep in History of Magic," says James shrugging. Remus turns to look at Peter.

"My notes suck," he says simply.

"No arguing that," grins Remus. He turns and glares at Sirius who looks back at him defensively.

"I've taken notes in each of those classes!"

Remus snorts. "I don't think rating girls on their hair, legs, backsides, and chests classifies as taking notes." The girls gasp and each in turn smack him, Marlene's probably the hardest but she grins at him.

"I'd better be on that list with high ratings!"

He smirks and wraps his arm around her, finally able to show his true feelings in front of his friends.

"Of course you're on the list babe," he says cheekily. "You're off the charts."

"Excuse me, did you just call me _babe?"_ James snorts and is interested in seeing how Sirius talks his way out of this one.

Sirius looks like a deer in headlights, but that is just how Marlene affects him. He looks at James for help and he decides to take pity on him.

"So Marlene, how did talking to your mum go?" asks James. Marlene grimaces and then turns to give Sirius a look. "That good, huh? Has anything changed since the first time I met her?"

Marlene shakes her head and Lily looks surprised.

"James met your mother but we never got to until the ball?" she asks.

Marlene makes another face and moves out of Sirius' grip to sit down on the couch.

"You know now why I never wanted you to meet her," says Marlene. "I'm surprised you lot don't need psychiatric help."

James nods. "Mrs. McKinnon isn't exactly the most…_pleasant_ person you'll ever meet."

"Don't be nice James, Salazar Slytherin would hardly be more pleasant than her. But then that's not saying much since she was in Slytherin, herself…"

"Wait, your mum was in Slytherin?" says Alice surprised. "Then where was the rest of your family?"

"I don't know who my dad is," admits Marlene. "And –"

"You never told us that!" cries Lily. "Marlene, why didn't you ever tell us about your family?"

"Because I hate them! The only people related in some way to me that I like is my mum's butler Jonathon and my brother Joseph but he ran away when I was nine and then was murdered."

"Your mum has a butler?" says Sirius.

Marlene nods. "The one who accompanied her to the Easter ball."

"Why not a house-elf?"

"They're too 'dirty'," she says dramatically. "'They'll soil the house! They're lazy!' They're this and that and whatever other rubbish she comes up with." Everyone is silent and Lily, Alice, and Sirius try to take it all in.

Lily, Margaret, and Alice are surprised and hurt that their best friend has never thought it prudent to share with them her personal life. After all, they thought that they told each other _everything_. Although Alice's family is known to them because they had gone to school for four years with her cousins, Alice had told them all about her home life. Lily did the same even though topics like Petunia are painful and Margaret has also told them about her family. It is a slap in the face to realize they hardly know anything about Marlene's family.

Sirius, on the other hand, is not all that upset. After all, a majority of his and Marlene's relationship has been physical and this, if anything, will bring them closer together in more of an emotional way. He does not care about how her mother acts just as much as she does not care about his parents and, if anything, he is relieved that they have this similarity. If they are going to be in a relationship of some sort he wants everything to be out in the open. He knows this sounds cliché but he has never felt these feelings before and it is not another one-night stand scenario. He has true feelings for Marlene and he will not sabotage it in any way and he needs her to know that.

"So what exactly happened with your mum?" asks Peter, breaking the silence.

Marlene scowls at her hands. "She wanted me to hand over the baby to her and let her raise it. 'Like hell' I said…well not in those words, she would have had my head."

"She wanted you to _give_ her the baby?" says Sirius shocked.

Marlene nods. "I – I would never hand over my – our child to someone who couldn't even be bothered to raise her own kids properly. Don't get me wrong, I'm in many ways glad that I'm nothing like her but I would never want to be responsible for another child's life being crazy because I let them live with her."

Sirius nods and falls silent. It is incomprehensible; the pain Marlene must feel all the time, especially knowing that she is really and truly the only one left. He has felt it many times himself but it is different on a certain level. She has had someone [her brother] who she loves and loved her in return and they are gone. She really only has a butler at home who probably acts more the role of a parent than her actual maternal one.

"Now that I'm of age, however," continues Marlene, "I think I'm going to get a flat once the year ends. I just can't go back to that house. Too many memories of Joseph are there and although I'll miss Jonathon, well, I'm sure he'll try and visit on occasion."

"We should all get a flat together," suggests Lily. "The four of us," she elaborates. "Now that the war is coming full fledge it'd be best to stick together. You lot should get one too."

Marlene looks hesitant though at planting this idea in the other's heads. "Most of you still have families!"

"Unless you count a sister that hates me and her whale of a husband, no, not quite," says Lily dryly.

"Don't look at me either, I'm disowned," laughs Sirius bitterly.

"I seldom talk to my mum," says Peter quietly.

"My dad left and my mum is afraid of me," says Remus, also quietly.

"No one," Margaret chokes, and Remus squeezes her shoulders.

"I'm sure my parents would understand if I wanted to move in with friends," says Alice.

"And my parents have been dying to get me out since I received my first broomstick," grins James. "Once I crashed it into my mum's priceless vase that sealed the deal."

Marlene smiles at all of her friends. She cannot believe how lucky she was to have found them and hopes she will never lose them to the war.

"Thanks guys," is all she can manage.

"Group hug!" squeals Sirius. Everyone laughs, Marlene the loudest, and gathers together in one group hug, several lifting one arm so they will not spill their drink.

Lily is squeezed in between Alice and James. She looks to her upper right where he is and noticed him grinning at her. She blushes and smiles back at him, this not being the first time that she is glad she gave him a chance.

"I think I'm going to go to bed now," says Remus, disentangling himself from the group. "I feel tired and with classes tomorrow…and next Saturday…well I'm going to need all the sleep I can get."

The others nod and the girls go to their respective dormitory, as do the guys, most of them with thoughts of the opposite sex in their head and everything that has happened recently. As they all get undressed into their nightclothes, most thought about how easy everything used to be, back when they thought the opposite gender had cooties.

Oh, the good old days.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	26. Dates, Feelings, Falls, Werewolf, AND Fu

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 26 – Dates, Feelings, Falls, Werewolf, AND Full Moons

Spring passes with such haste that James is getting nervous and about to lose his mind. Him and Lily still have not gone on an official date yet and he has been wanting to ask her for a while. Recent events have jarred his mindset though and he had forgotten about it. Now, as things are slowly going back to normal, he finds himself thinking about asking her constantly but is terrified to do so.

"Just ask her like you always have," says Remus when James voices his worries. "It shouldn't be any different."

"But that's the problem, Moony," sighs James, running his hands through his hair for the first time in months. "I know how she feels now and know the answer won't be the same as it has for the past two years! How will I react when she says yes? I'm pretty sure girls don't appreciate the guy who asked them out puking all over them."

Sirius gave a bark of laughter. "You'll be fine, Prongs," he says. "Besides, you're _dating_ now. What's the worst that good happen?"

"She could break up with me?"

"Come on, after all these years of having me as a friend, my wisdom with the ladies must have rubbed off."

"You always know how to make it about you, don't you?"

"Always."

"Prongs, you had better hope Padfoot's wisdom hasn't rubbed off on you or you'll end up with a pregnant girlfriend," smirks Peter. Sirius glares at him as Remus and Frank, who just came in, guffaw, but then shrugs and agrees.

"The sad thing is, he's right. Do me a favour Prongsie – DO NOT jump Lily-bean's bones! Understand?"

"Message received."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So Lily, when do you think James will ask you out on your first official date?" inquires Alice as the four girls finished their Charms essay.

Lily shrugs, not looking up from her parchment. "I gather whenever he is ready."

Marlene raises an eyebrow. She is now four months into her pregnancy and there is a slight bump visible on her abdomen. While Lily, Alice, and the Marauders, especially Sirius, are happy for her, she has been getting many disapproving stares _and_ glares in the corridors.

"Lily, I'm fairly certain he's been ready for the first five and half years we've been here," she laughs. Lily shrugs again.

"Perhaps he's nervous."

"Of what?" asks Margaret.

"Of me saying 'no' again?"

"Will you?" Alice asks.

"No."

"Then what is he afraid of?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask him?"

"I think I will," replies Alice, standing up determinedly.

"Wait, I didn't mean it lit –" begins Lily.

"Too late," says Alice over her shoulder. Lily rolls her eyes and turns to Marlene and Margaret.

"I'd better follow her to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid." She grins, gets up, and runs after her best friend.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So you promise me you won't jump her bones no matter how desirable it may be?" says Sirius for the umpteenth time.

"Let's not forget that _I'm_ her boyfriend, not you."

"But you promise?"

James has attempted to start his essay for Binns five minutes ago but gives up out of frustration.

"For the billionth time Pads, and yes, I have been counting, I will _NOT_ have sex with Lily under any circumstances. She wouldn't even _want_ to, to begin with and I'd never do anything to her without her consent."

Sirius pretends to wipe an imaginary tear.

"I've taught you so well," he says dramatically.

"What are you talking about? You did the exact opposite of your advice!"

"Shut up, we were having a moment."

Before anyone can move, do, or say anything else, the door opens and Alice strides in.

"Alice, what are you -?" begins Frank but she ignores him.

"James, what exactly are your intentions with Lily?" asks Alice straight out.

Lily gasps and strides in after her. "You. Don't. Have to. Answer that." She glares at Alice who just looks innocent.

"Well, I could try," says James, fighting the urge to laugh, "but it'd be hard." His eyes are twinkling and he cannot hold back his laugh upon seeing the extremely uncomfortable look on Lily's face.

"Okay, well, we've got to get going _now_," says Lily, glaring at Alice who is grinning widely now. "Stop grinning like a lunatic and come _on_."

She is about to drag Alice out of the room if she has to when Frank jumps up.

"Wait, Alice, I need to talk to you," he says urgently. That wipes the grin right off Alice's face.

"We have nothing to discuss," she says coolly.

"Come on Alice, talk to me," pleads Frank. "I hate knowing that you're angry with me."

"Funny, I would have thought you'd hate keeping a secret from me about my _best friend_."

"That's _my_ fault Alice, not Frank's," says Remus intervening. "I practically did everything but beg him to keep it."

"He still ultimately chose to keep it in the end," says Alice stubbornly. "Would it have truly been that horrible to tell us?"

"You would have been angry!" says Frank angrily.

"Not any more then I am _now!"_ counters Alice hotly.

"How do you know? We're talking about a situation that isn't even possible anymore!"

Alice throws her hands up. "Screw this." They all stare at her in shock, having never heard her curse. She storms out of the room and slams the door behind her.

Lily turns and looks back at the shocked guys.

"Erm – I'd better go check on her," she says awkwardly, very unlike her. "Talk to you guys later." Her eyes scan the room, landing on James last. She hurries over to kiss him on the cheek and then runs out after Alice.

"Not the _best_ way to handle things," says Sirius delicately, which is _very_ unlike him.

"Like she said, 'screw it'," says Frank bitterly. He sits back down on his bed and closes the curtains furiously.

The Marauders exchange one look that clearly says:

_Could it all get any worse?_ Yet they all know that the answer to that is absolutely _yes_.

Margaret could be dead.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Things did not get any better between Alice and Frank during the weeks to come. Meanwhile, James is still having trouble-asking Lily out again. He does not know what was wrong with him; after all he has asked her out so many times before. Perhaps it is different this time since he knows how she truly feels about him and now the answer will be different.

May is now approaching and there will be a Hogsmeade trip halfway through the month that if he sucks it up he can ask Lily to.

James knows he has to ask her soon before she wonders if something is wrong but there is something holding him back. He knew that Lily was the one for him since the first time he laid eyes on her. However, what if she does not feel the same way as him and is only _dating_ him but does not expect much to come from it? Will he end up looking like a moron who got in too deep with a girl? After all, all the girls he has been with before were either one-night stands or lasted for a maximum of three weeks.

It is the Thursday, the fourteenth of May, two days before the Hogsmeade trip when James decides to ask Lily out. At first he was worried that morning that she would be going with someone else but then remembers that they _are_ dating and that he is being an eejit.

"Hey Lils," he greets her at the breakfast table. "Can I ask you something?"

She does not respond but looks up and gives him a strained look. He looks at her puzzled and looks at the others around them. That is when he notices no one is talking at all. In fact, the only ones conversing are Remus, who looks extremely pale, to Margaret and Marlene to Sirius. Both pairs are speaking in tense whispers. Next to them is Frank who looks a mix of irritated and miserable.

On the other end of Lily sits Alice, glowering at her plate as if it did something to morally offend her.

"They're _still_ fighting?" groans James.

"Firstly, fighting would mean we are actually _talking_ to each other," Alice snaps automatically. "Secondly, don't talk like I'm not here, I can _hear_ you."

"Perhaps you were _meant_ to," says James bitterly. His mood has already gone south and he is debating on whether he wants to ask Lily here and now.

Alice glares at him and falls silent. That is when Frank jumps in.

"Well _maybe_ if _some people_ would _get over 'known issue'_ then we won't all have to be miserable!" he counters.

Alice slams her fork down, catching everyone by surprise.

"Well _maybe_ if _other people_ would just be _honest_ then no one would be miserable in the first place!"

"Why are they talking hypothetical's if that's exactly the situation?" asks Sirius confused.

Marlene opens her mouth to respond but then closes it and settles for nodding and patting his shoulder. Remus just shakes his head.

"The less you understand, the better," she says, laughter dancing in her eyes. He grins down at her and kisses her sweetly, earning them many glares from his "Fan Club", particularly Kristina.

"Get a room," she sneers. They break apart and glare at her.

"I'd tell you to do the same but I'd feel sorry for the bloke you take with you," retorts Marlene. Sirius snorts and Kristina glowers at the pair of them.

"Oh, I have the perfect bloke in mind, don't you worry," she snarls, looking pointedly at Sirius.

Meanwhile, James and Lily are watching the back and forth Quidditch match of Alice and Frank. Though neither think of it this way.

"It's _your_ fault that we can't be together right now!" screams Alice.

"_You're_ the one with the problem!" shouts Frank, over her. "_I_ apologized and you're the one too stubborn to accept it!"

"I am _not_ stubborn! The fact remains that _you_ had the choice to tell me and you didn't!" she shrieks.

Most of the great hall, or at least most in the vicinity, are now staring at Alice and Frank in awe. Seldom, have they heard them scream, _especially_ at each other.

"It wasn't my fucking secret to tell!"

"Mr. Longbottom!" cries Professor McGonagall scandalized. She makes to stand up but Professor Dumbledore puts a hand on her shoulder and whispers something in her ear. Reluctantly, she sits back down and watches the show with everyone else.

"You kept a secret from me about _my best friend_ and to make matters worse, I only found out after she nearly _died!"_

There are murmurings now surfacing throughout the great hall.

"Margaret almost died -?"

"What happened -?"

"Who tried to kill her -?"

"Owls eyes are fixed in their sockets –"

What Frank says next, however, shocks them all into silence.

"It's not my bloody fault that your best friend didn't feel the need to confide in you! Apparently, you aren't as close as you thought!"

Lily, Margaret, and Marlene gasp. Alice's eyes fill with angry tears and she runs out of the hall, everyone's eyes following her including Frank's. He looks like he is having an internal battle on whether or not to run after her. Lily stands up and walks over to him. She reaches him and sighs.

"You went too far Frank. How could you say that Margaret and Alice aren't close even if they're estranged right now? How can you insult their friendship when Margaret could have _died?"_

Frank musses his hair irritably and Lily is strongly reminded of James when he used to do that.

"I didn't mean for it to come out like that," he mutters. "I just blurted it out without realizing it, you know?" Leaving her somewhat confused, he makes his decision and runs after Alice.

Lily makes to follow him but James holds her back.

"Let Frank work it out," he says soothingly, sending pleasant shivers down her spine. "Give it some time. Alice may need to be alone."

Lily nods and turns to face James and looks at him questioningly.

"What do I have something on my face?" James jokes.

Lily flushes. "No, not quite. You said though you wanted to ask me something?"

Now it is James' turn to flush. He had not wanted to ask her like this but it is now or never, right?

He clears his throat. "Erm – yeah. Will you go to Hogsmeade with me this coming Saturday?"

Lily's puzzled look melts into a happy grin.

"Sure!" she says. "But you didn't expect me to say _no_, did you? After all, we _are_ dating." She gives him one of her dazzling smiles and walks over to Marlene and Margaret to tell them that it is time for class.

James gapes at her retreating figure. Never had he imagined in a million years that Lily Evans would finally say 'yes' to him asking her out on a date. It seems so unreal but when he pinches himself and it hurts he knows he is not dreaming or asleep.

He walks over to Sirius, Remus, and now Peter; whom is shoving food down his throat.

"What are you so happy about?" asks Sirius curiously.

"No wait, I know that look," says Peter suddenly, swallowing thickly. "That's his 'Lily look'."

Remus nods. "He's right. I take it you asked her out and she said yes?"

"No way," says Sirius, shaking his head. He turns to Remus. "I bet you ten galleons he either doesn't ask her or she gives up on waiting and asks _him_."

"Deal."

"Gee, love the amount of respect and faith," says James sarcastically. "I guess you owe Moony ten galleons, Pads."

Remus grins giddily and Sirius groans, then slaps his forehead and hands over the money.

"I'll bet you back my money that their date goes well."

"You'd have to be dafter than you already are to not see that," snorts Remus. "Even if it didn't go well and I won, what would you give me?"

"My remaining dignity."

"No, you lost that years ago."

"Alright, well as fascinating as this conversation is I've got to go grab my bag back up in the dormitory," says James amused. He leaves a bickering Remus and Sirius and a food-loving Peter at the table and runs up to the common room.

He takes the steps three at a time and opens the dormitory and grabs his bag off of his bed. Just as he is about to leave, a flash of red catches his eye. At first he thinks it is Lily but he turns slowly and faces the calendar. There is a big red 'X' on it, signifying that this upcoming Saturday is a full moon, explaining why Remus looks so pale today. The same day as he is planning to go on his first official date with Lily, the date he had been waiting for these past two and a half years.

Brilliant.

He is screwed. He is so screwed that he might as well be a nail in a construction setup. How on earth is he to break off the date with Lily? The same date he has been waiting for two and a half years and what she seems to _also_ be looking forward too!

He knows he could not abandon Remus though. He is one of his best mates and honestly, Sirius and Peter cannot handle him without James there to help. James is the biggest of all the animagi, being the Stag, and although Sirius is a strong dog, he cannot control Remus alone and Remus can _eat_ Peter. He is in a _bad_ fix.

James realizes he is still standing there and staring at the calendar and curses loudly. He needs to get to Transfiguration and quickly. Professor McGonagall is never one for students being tardy and James has been his fair share of times.

He runs down the dormitory stairs, ignoring the surprised looks from some seventh years that have a free period now. He races down the stairs leading to the Transfiguration corridor and nearly run over two fourth years, a boy and a girl – the girl looking strikingly similar to Lily. He reaches the classroom hardly out of breath. Thank Merlin for being on the Quidditch team for the past couple of years. He opens the door and walks in.

As he does, the whole class turns to him, including Lily, who looks at him questioningly.

"Mr. Potter, why are you ten minutes late and disrupting my class?" asks Professor McGonagall.

"Erm – traffic?" says James grinning. The class laughs and he swears he can see even Lily, the master student, crack a smile.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor, Potter. Yes, from my own house," she says as James opens his mouth. James shrugs, knowing he would be fighting an already lost battle, and takes his seat next to Marlene.

"What'd I miss?" he asks her under his breath.

"She's lecturing on N.E.W.T's again," mutters Marlene, and James holds back a groan.

The teachers have been stressing the importance of the upcoming exams. James does not understand why everyone is frantic though. They all had begun studying last year after the O.W.L's and James and Sirius will most likely only begin the week before.

He basically ignores all of what Professor McGonagall is saying, much to her annoyance, and daydreams the whole class on how he will explain his situation to Lily.

Then he decides to take out a spare bit of parchment and make it look as though he somewhat cares about what Professor McGonagall is talking about. He smirks at her surprised expression and takes out some ink and a quill. However, he is not about to take any notes on what she is talking about.

He puts the parchment on his lap and silently takes out his wand. He charms it.

**Hey**, he writes on it.

Lily is vigorously writing notes on everything Professor McGonagall is saying. Then she feels a nudge.

"What?" she hisses at Sirius.

"Look below your writing," he whispers in reply.

Lily does so and realizes that it is not her handwriting. She looks up at Sirius who smirks and twitches his head to his left. She looks over to where James and Marlene are to see James' upper lip twitching. She rolls her eyes and turns back to her parchment to see another message materializing.

**I can see you staring**, it reads.

Lily blushes and dabs her quill. She hastily writes a reply.

_What can I say? You're nice to stare at._

James' heart does a somersault. He continues staring at the "God-like" piece of parchment.

_Why were you late today?_

James grins and writes back:

**Distracted. You have a free period next, right?**

_Yeah…?_

**Meet me outside by the lake**

_Don't you have class?_

**What's your point?**

_Fine. I'll meet you there. Is everything okay?_

**Don't worry about it; I'll talk to you then.**

Lily looks at the parchment slightly troubled but saves the message, to James' surprise, and then takes out another piece of parchment to begin writing again.

He smiles and saves it in his bag again then goes back to daydreaming about a certain redhead.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

After class ends, Lily hitches her bag on her shoulder and heads out to the lake like James had instructed. She is slightly confused and unsettled on what this can be about but could gather from his upset look that it is nothing good.

She walks down the hill to see him already there, lounging against the tree. His back is facing her and he is obviously looking out at the lake. Once she arrives next to him, she does not announce her presence but she knows that he knows she is here.

"It's kind of weird, isn't it?" he says suddenly. "Next year being our last year?"

Lily nods and he has to turn to see her response. "I think that once we leave a little part of me, you know; the little, innocent, eleven-year-old girl, will be gone."

James smiles. "You were never innocent." Then he nods as well and turns back to look at the lake. "But I do get what you mean. Remember when everything was so easy? You know, no concerns, no war…mum and dad could make all the decisions for us –"

Lily's eyes fill with sudden tears and James looks horrified at what he just said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think –" he begins but she shakes her head.

"No, I'm sorry, I'm being stupid," she mumbles but he shakes his head vigorously.

"You're not stupid, you could never be stupid, Lily," he says, looking into her tear filled, emerald eyes. "I, on the other hand, was being untactful and a git." Lily smiles and laughs.

"I never thought I'd see the day where James Potter admits his true colours," she teases.

"There's the Lils I know and love," grins James.

Lily's smile now is slightly strained, worried that perhaps he expects her to say that she loves him back. Truth be told though, she is not ready to do so yet.

He does not allow her much time to dwell on it though because she becomes suddenly aware that he has filled the space between them. He leans down and captures her lips and she feels herself melting into him. The kiss is slow, but passionate, yet not forceful, and full of desire and lust at the same time.

"Lily? Are you okay?" asks James after they break apart. Lily eyes snap up and green meets hazel.

"Yeah," she says breathlessly. He just has that effect on her. "What did you need to talk about, anyway?"

James' sparkle in his eyes fades and he seems unhappy now.

"Saturday is the full moon," he says solemnly. Lily looked at him for a moment.

"Saturday is – _oh_," says Lily, recognition dawning on her. "I understand. You can't go to Hogsmeade on Saturday."

James looks at her incredulously. "You…understand?"

"Of course I understand. You need to be there for your friends and I would feel the same way if it was one of mine," says Lily. "What, did you expect me to be crying or angry? Don't you know me better than that?"

James nods slowly. "I don't know, I just thought you'd be upset."

"I'm disappointed," amends Lily, "but I understand."

They stare at each other, then at the lake, neither of them speaking but both of them saying everything with their eyes. Just the presence of the other is comforting as they cuddle.

"We'd better get back to the castle," sighs Lily. "You're going to get in trouble, you know, for skipping class."

James shrugs. "When am I _not_ in trouble? Besides, the day is considered a fail if I don't get in trouble before lunch."

Lily laughs and the two head back to the castle hand-in-hand, talking about classes, friend, etc. At one point they do not talk at all but, once again, that is okay. Sometimes saying nothing says everything.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Friday comes and goes and before Lily and James know it, Saturday is approaching. Both are disappointed that they cannot go out on their first date but knowing what has to be done and knowing they will have plenty of other opportunities.

"Are you coming to Hogsmeade, Lily?" asks Alice. The little brunette is _still_ not talking to Frank, something they mutually agreed that they will not discuss often for everyone's sake, but Lily can tell her defenses are crumbling. It is obvious how much she misses Frank and when Lily pointed this out last night, she did not deny it.

_-Flashback-_

"_I do miss him," Alice admits._

"_Then why not get back together with him?" Lily asks. "Why torture both yourself _and_ him?"_

"_We never were _really_ broken up."_

"_You know what I mean, Al – ice," says Lily, careful not to use Frank's nickname for her._

_Alice sighs, knowing what her best friend was about to call her. "I just – I don't know…I feel like it would be admitting to myself that I'm not strong without him. In all honesty – and keep this to yourself – I don't know what I would do without him."_

"_I will, but why aren't you telling him this?"_

"_Like I just said, it all goes back to being strong."_

"_Strength of character means the ability to overcome resentment against others, to hide _hurt_ feelings, and to forgive quickly."_ (**A/N: Not mine**)

"_It's not that easy."_

_-End Flashback-_

Lily knows she will never tell anyone this but she wishes Alice would tell Frank herself. Her relationship is also still on the rocks with Margaret. Lily knows, however, that if she makes up with Frank, she is bound to forgive Margaret soon thereafter because Alice values their friendship more than anything.

"Yeah, I'm going," says Lily. "James and I are taking a rain check though."

"What? Why?" cries Marlene, coming into the room. She is now five months pregnant and will be do around September.

"Tonight's the full moon and he's going to be there for Remus," she says.

"Oh, that's right, Sirius told me that," says Marlene nodding. She turns to Alice. "You have no excuse and a perfectly available boyfriend."

Alice makes a face but says nothing. They continue getting ready, none of them hearing the heavy breathing of Miranda Harris outside of the dormitory, having heard every word of their conversation.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"How are you feeling, Moony?" asks James. Him and the other Marauders come in and close the curtain behind them.

"Icky," says Remus grinning. "Blimey, I didn't realize how much of a five-year-old I sounded like until I said it." The others laugh and conjure up some chairs.

"Cheers," says Sirius, handing Remus one of the many butterbeers they snagged for the "occasion".

They all clink their cans (**A/N: God, that sounds weird…)** and take a swig of it.

"Are you sure you guys don't want to go to Hogsmeade?" asks Remus after a moment of silence. He groans. "James, you _should_ be there with Lily."

James looks at his friend sternly. "She understands, I told her tonight was the full –"

The curtain opens suddenly and there stands Miranda.

"What do you want Harris?" asks James coolly.

"Well, _you_ but I'd also like to speak to Remus, Jamsiepoo," she says sweetly.

James cringes at the insinuation and the name and gets up without argument. Sirius pats him on the back and Peter follows the pair out. Once they are gone, she turns to face Remus.

"What do you want?" asks Remus hesitantly.

She smirks. "I thought that you visited your mother this time of the month, Lupin."

Remus freezes but recovers quickly. "I typically do. I wasn't feeling well this time around."

"Are you sure? I heard your mother is seriously ill. I find it hard to believe that she is still be alive, and the fact that you come back looking worse off is interesting…"

_She knows_ thinks Remus anxiously.

"What are you playing at?" he asks, trying to muster up as much harshness as he can in his weak state.

"I know you're a werewolf, Lupin, and believe me I _will_ use it to my advantage. Also, don't even think about telling your friends because I'll only blow this secret sky-high _faster_."

She leaves, her red nails shimmering in the dull candle light.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The four girls walk to Hogsmeade chatting amicably, all trying to keep their minds off the guys they _should_ be with. They talk about everything from the latest school gossip to reminiscing on old and new pranks by the Marauders.

"No one will ever top the Marauders," says Lily passionately. "No one is as close as they are that they knows what the others are thinking."

"While the second part is true, you'll eat your words one day," grins Marlene. "I bet you anything there will be a new generation of Marauders. Perhaps even this little boy or girl," she says, looking down at her stomach fondly.

The other three smile and the three fall into a comfortable silence.

"Shall we go to the Three Broomsticks?" suggests Lily.

"How about we just grab a drink to go and head over by the Shrieking Shack?" says Alice. The others nod in agreement. The weather is so nice that they prefer to be outside anyway.

They wait on line then order and pay for their drinks. Afterwards, they walk over to the gate before the Shrieking Shack and just stand staring at it.

"It seems so surreal that Remus has to spend one night each month in there," sighs Margaret. She made sure no one was around them before she said that.

"I know," says Alice sadly. "If it were me and I started going in there at eleven-years-old I'd be scared out of my wits."

"But it's not any of us," sighs Marlene. "It's Remus who got landed with this lycanthropy."

"It's always the nicest people," says Alice.

Lily pauses. "I don't know. I often wonder what would Remus be like if he didn't have the disease…I mean, I'm sure he would still be nice but sometimes the fate just fits the person, you know?"

"No one deserves to go through that kind of hell," points out Marlene.

"True. I think it's made him look at life through a different light though."

"Can't argue with that logic," agrees Margaret. She sighs. "It's moments like these that I truly realize how lucky I am to be alive. I hope Voldemort is caught one day and burns in hell."

"We all do," says Lily.

"Well, not all of us," says a sly voice from behind them.

They whip out their wands and spin around, only to see the Carrows, Avery, Mulciber, and Severus.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Remus is shaken badly. How did _Miranda_ of all people find out about his secret? It just is not possible! Anyone who knows would never willingly tell her.

The other Marauders came back in, James looks unhappy.

"What did _it_ want?" asks Sirius nastily.

Remus shakes his head. "Nothing. Just coming to see what the Transfiguration homework is."

"Couldn't she ask one of her friends?" asks Peter frowning.

Remus shrugs. "I don't try and break down how a girl's mind works and to be honest, it seems complicated enough."

"Some would beg to differ," says Madam Pomfrey, coming in to give Remus a Potion.

Remus blushes and the others all laugh.

"Drink _all_ of your Potion, Mr. Lupin," instructs the matron. "You're going to need all of your strength for tonight."

Remus grimaced as he looks at the Potion. It is steaming and the colour of it resembles turd. It bubbles slightly and hisses. He downs it in one, being used to it by now, and does not throw up like he used to, although he comes damn near close.

"If we could switch with you, we would Moony," says James earnestly, and Remus smiles.

"You could try," he admits. "But I wouldn't let you."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Miranda walks up the stairs back to the Gryffindor common room smirking the whole way. She will try find a way to use this to her advantage, if not this year, then the next. Yes, she will strike next year and get James all to herself again. Evans will never know what hit her.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Not _all_ of us want to see the Dark Lord imprisoned," smirks Alecto Carrow. "In fact, we know it is only a matter of time before he takes his rightful role as leader of Wizards and Muggles alike."

"What do you want?" snaps Lily, her eyes flashing dangerously. She then turns to glare at Severus. He stares at her for a moment then looks beyond her in the general area of the Shrieking Shack. She is not sure if he is actually seeing anything though.

"We're out for blood, Mudblood," sneers Alecto's twin, Amycus. He walks up to her so they are about a foot apart. Lily notices now how he is just as ugly as his sister, if not more so.

Lily stands her ground but cannot hide the repulsion evident in her expression.

"Don't call her that!" cry the others angrily.

"Don't speak unless spoken to," growls Avery.

"It's fine guys, I honestly don't care anymore," says Lily shrugging. However, Marlene just has to open her mouth again.

"Why are you out for our blood? According to you guys it's dirty anyway and didn't your little buddy Rodophus Lestrange already get his hands soiled with Margaret's family?" Marlene says this very fast, her wand rotating throughout the Death Eaters.

"Don't speak unless you are spoken to Blood-Traitor!" re-shouts Avery. Marlene glares at him.

"Why don't you make me?"

"Marlene, no," whispers Alice.

"Shut up, Prewitt," grins Mulciber.

"You want us to _make_ you?" sneers Alecto. "_Stupefy!"_

Marlene is not fast enough to block it and is blasted back over the guard railing and down the extremely steep hill.

"NO!" cry Alice, Margaret, and Lily.

"Let's get out of here," hisses Severus. "A teacher could have seen us coming this way." The others run off but before Severus can Lily turns slowly to face him.

"How _could_ you? How could you let them _do_ that?" she whispers, angry tears in her eyes.

"Lily, I –" he stutters.

"Save it," she groans. "As usual we are left to clean up _your_ mess!"

"We'll be right there, Marlene!" cries Alice, although they are fairly certain she cannot hear them.

They run off, leaving Severus, with only one thought in their head.

_Margaret nearly died. Marlene can't go instead!_

They run down the side of the hill to see Marlene, still Stunned, and lying sprawled on the ground.

"No," whispers Lily, tears in her eyes. Her, Margaret, and Alice run over to Marlene. Lily bends down and feels her pulse in her neck. She can feel it beating, meaning she is alive!

"How are we going to get her back to the school?" asks Alice anxiously. "There's no way we can drag dead weight alone."

"I'll call Professor Dumbledore," says Lily. "I've been practicing my Patronus. _Expecto Patronum!_" A silver doe materializes out of her wand.

"Go to the school and find Professor Dumbledore," Lily instructs. "Don't stop for anyone else and tell him to come to the outside of the Shrieking Shack. Tell him Marlene is hurt and to hurry."

The doe bends its head as if to say "okay" and gallops off with surprising haste.

While Lily had been instructing the doe on what to do, Alice has conjured a stretcher and Margaret has levitated Marlene onto it. They are now looking around nervously.

"I don't like it down here," Alice admits. "It's all eerie and foreboding."

"Professor Dumbledore should be arriving soon –" begins Lily.

As if on cue, there is a slight pop and Professor Dumbledore appears next to Alice, whom nearly jumps out of her skin.

"I got your message, Miss Evans," he says warmly. "I must say, it is quite impressive for someone of your age to manage a corporal Patronus."

"Thank you, sir," says Lily blushing. Professor Dumbledore does not notice though and looks to where Marlene was lying on the stretcher.

"What happened?" he asks quietly.

"It was a bunch of the Slytherins, sir," responds Lily. It feels like a brick is now lodged in her throat. "Avery, Severus, Mulciber, and both of the Carrows."

Professor Dumbledore nods and seems to be reading farther into this then Lily or the others had.

"Should we take the spell off her?" asks Margaret uncertainly.

Professor Dumbledore shakes his head. "She is likely to be in a lot of pain. I think it best to wait for Madam Pomfrey to help her.

He raises his wand and waves it in a complex motion, making himself and Marlene disappear. Lily, Margaret, and Alice just stand and stare transfixed at where they had been a moment ago.

"Well, I guess we'd better head back," says Lily, breathing heavily.

Alice nods, releasing the breath she had not realized she had been holding. The three walk back to the castle in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The Marauders are laughing at some stupid joke Sirius had just told them when they hear a faint pop.

"What's that?" asks James sharply. "I thought no one can Apparate or Disapparate inside of the castle."

"Yes, but being Headmaster has its privileges," says an aged voice from behind the curtain.

Sirius opens up the curtain to see Professor Dumbledore, standing next to the stretcher that holds –

"Marlene," he whispers. His eyes widen at the Headmaster. "What happened to her?"

"There was an attempted attack," replies Professor Dumbledore. "I believe they were out for Miss Evans –"

"Lily," interrupts James. "Where's Lily?" he asks urgently.

"Her, Miss Smith, and Miss Prewitt are on their way back to the school." James nods and Remus looks deeply concerned. "As I was saying, I believe they were out for Miss Evans but Miss McKinnon must have provoked them in some way and they Stunned her instead, causing her to fall past the guard rails of the Shrieking Shack."

Sirius' eyes narrow. "Who was involved?"

"Miss Evans stated it was Mr.'s Avery, Snape, Mulciber, and both of the Carrows."

Sirius' eyes had gone to slits at the mention of Severus. He aims a kick at Remus' nightstand and ignores his now smarting toe.

Madam Pomfrey comes in and gasps.

"_Another_ attack, Albus?" she sighs.

Professor Dumbledore nods solemnly. "I'm afraid so, Poppy. Would you please look over Miss McKinnon? I have some business to attend to with a group of Slytherins."

Madam Pomfrey nods and wheels Marlene off to her own bed as Professor Dumbledore walks with great agility out of the infirmary.

Sirius leaves the curtained area where Remus is staying and goes over to stay next to Marlene now. The other three can hear him whispering to Madam Pomfrey but cannot discern what they are actually discussing.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Is she going to be okay?" he whispers anxiously.

Madam Pomfrey, now busy waving her wand over Marlene, replies, "I believe so. Thank Merlin her neck isn't broken, she must have landed on a particularly soft piece of grass. Her spine seems intact as well…"

Sirius lets out the breath that he had not realized he had been holding. His temper flares, however. Severus was involved in this and Lily is most definitely upset so now, there is going to be hell to pay.

Right on cue, the door opens and in runs a frantic Lily with Margaret and Alice following.

"Is she all right?" cries Lily. "Is she going to be okay?"

James comes out from behind Remus' curtained area and walks over to Lily. She can feel her defensive walls collapsing just in his presence and buries her face in his chest. He wraps his arms around her and tries to comfort her through body language.

Margaret goes over to Remus who takes her hand comfortingly and Alice just sort of stands there, confused with where to go or what to say. Sirius pats her back and she smiles thankfully at him.

"So, is she going to be okay?" Alice reiterates. Madam Pomfrey nods.

"All I can find is a fractured left wrist and a broken leg, but that is easily mended," says the matron kindly. "I'll just keep her overnight to make sure she's properly healed before classes on Monday. She can leave tomorrow afternoon at the latest."

Lily's breathing is still shallow but James can tell she is relieved that nothing worse has come out of this.

"S-Severus was there too," she chokes, tears running down her delicate cheeks. "H-He just stood there and w-watched!" she cries in anguish.

"Shh," says James. He hates crying girls, especially Lily. He never knows how or what to do when it comes to comforting them. He seldom ever saw Lily cry either so it is a whole different experience.

"We'll deal with Snape –" begins Sirius angrily.

"N-No!" cries Lily alarmed. "D-Don't hurt him! I know what he did was wrong but you can't h-hurt him!"

"Lily," says Sirius incredulously, "how can you protect that scum? He's worth less then the dirt on your shoes, and that was _before_ he called you a You-Know-What."

"I don't care! Don't hurt him Sirius, or I'll hurt _you!"_ Lily screams.

"Calm down," implores Alice before Madam Pomfrey can. "It's been a difficult day for everyone and the last thing we need is to bite each other's heads off."

"Isn't that what He wants anyway?" says Peter timidly. "For us to fight amongst ourselves? That's You-Know-Who's plan."

"Wormy's right," agrees James. He turns to Lily. "Sirius won't do anything to hurt Snape." He then turns to a fuming Sirius. "Do you hear me, Sirius?"

"I hear you," says Sirius stiffly. Then when the others turn back to face Marlene he thinks, _"Doesn't mean I'll listen though."_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Severus cannot wipe the memory of the betrayed expression Lily had worn when she looked at him earlier. He had not wanted to go to Hogsmeade at all today but his "friends" had coerced him into it.

_-Flashback-_

"_What are you guys doing?" asks Severus irritably. The Carrow twins, Avery, and Mulciber are gathered in a circle._

"_None of your concern, Snape," sneers Alecto. "After all, you think too much of the Mudblood Evans, don't you?"_

"_Don't call her that!" hisses Severus._

"_Why? You did!"_

"_It was a mistake."_

"_We don't have time for this," says Amycus before his sister can retort. He turns to Severus. "Come to Hogsmeade with us, Severus."_

"_Why?" He does not particularly want to go into town today. He heard a rumour that Lily will be going with Potter and he does not need to see that._

_Amycus seems to have read his mind and smirks. "Don't worry, I have sources that tell me the Mudblood's and Blood-Traitor's _date_ has been postponed."_

"_What does that have to do with anything?" asks Severus, suddenly feeling much better._

"_What it has to do with it is that now Evans won't have her 'knight in shining armour' around to protect her," sneers Avery. "So, Severus, are you in or out?"_

_Severus sighs. "I'm in."_

_-End Flashback-_

In retrospect, they never _made_ him go. In fact, they gave him an option but if you read between the lines you can tell they would have made his life hell if he did not tag along.

He sighs and leaves the common room to go to his Potions room hideout. Another long day.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sirius storms through the corridors at six o'clock that night. He has to meet his fellow Marauders in the entry hall at seven thirty to bring Remus down to the Whomping Willow. He had just finished dinner and left the others in the Great Hall.

Lily is being unreasonable. He _has_ to get vengeance on Severus for what he did or did not do to both Lily _and_ Marlene. He will explode if he does not do anything for Merlin's sake!

It is time to put his plan into action. He cannot tell anyone because of the risk of them stopping him so he will work alone.

He continues walking through the corridors leading to the Slytherin common room. He knows the way there due to playing many pranks on the House as a whole.

Sirius lucks out. Severus is walking towards the wall that will open when the password is stated.

"OI! Snivellus!" calls Sirius.

Severus spins around, his wand at the ready, having recognized the voice. He trains it on Sirius' face.

"Put that down," says Sirius coldly.

Severus ignores him and keeps his wand trained on Sirius in case he acts. "What do you want Black?"

"I've come because I know you wonder where Remus goes every month," says Sirius simply.

"So?"

"Come to the Whomping Willow tonight around twenty to eight," says Sirius. "You'll need to press the knot on the tree to freeze it and then go down the passageway. You'll then see where Remus goes every month." (**A/N: I know it was said that this happened in their fifth year but I didn't want to go back and change it**)

Severus eyes him warily. "How do I know it isn't a trick?"

"Come on Snivellus, have I ever tricked you before?"

"Quite frequently."

Sirius snorts. "Well I'm not this time. Just do as I say and you'll be able to see Remus."

He turns on his heel and strides coolly in the other direction, leaving Severus questioning himself on what he should do.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily has left the Great Hall fairly early, having volunteered to bring Remus some food. She walks to the hospital wing, lost in her own tangled thoughts.

She does not mind that James and her have to take a rain check on going out but somewhere in the back of her mind she is almost glad. It is not though because she does not want to go out with him but because she is afraid. Afraid that she might be below his expectations and that he will realize he does not really love her and break up with her. She is also afraid that she might hurt him somehow. She knows it is preposterous, especially since James has told her on many occasions that everything she does is "beautiful", but she cannot – will not – believe it. He claims that her faults make her beautiful (**A/N: Thank you, PottedLilies**), that he will always love her but it makes no sense. As far as she can see, she is nothing special. She is just a five foot, two inches girl with fiery red hair, a nasty temper, and pasty skin. That is Petunia's description of her, at least.

_It makes no sense_ thinks Lily as she enters the infirmary.

"Hey Remus," she greets.

"Hey," says Remus weakly. He has little beads of sweat on his forehead and Lily wipes it off with the towel on his nightstand.

She feels horrible that he has to go through this agony once a month and immediately pushes her worried thoughts concerning James to the crevices of her mind.

"Are you heading down soon?" she asks.

Remus nods. "Madam Pomfrey is bringing me down to the Great Hall at seven thirty. The other Marauders are bringing me down, giving me a good twenty minutes before the full moon appears at ten to eight."

Lily nods and places the chicken and pumpkin juice on his lap. He smiles weakly and eats the food hungrily. She laughs.

"Slow down, I don't need you to choke when I'm here, it's bad publicity," she grins. "Besides, you're eating like it's your last meal."

"You never know," says Remus sheepishly.

"At the rate you're going you sure as hell won't." Remus smiles and takes a swig of his drink. Then he looks serious.

"I'm sorry James came here instead of going with you on your date," he says sincerely, and Lily smiles.

"It's all right," she says, also sincerely. "Like I told him, I understand completely. If one Marauder is in trouble it's up to the other's to be there for him and I admire that."

Remus grins. "James'll be happy to know that."

Lily laughs again. "I'm sure he will be."

"He really is crazy about you, Lily. He was freaking out about how to ask you out the right way."

"There's always just asking," she teases but then shakes her head. "I'm crazy about him too." Remus grins from ear-to-ear and they lapse into silence for a while until Lily stands up and pecks him on the cheek.

"I'm going to visit Marlene and see if she's woken up yet," she says. "Erm – have fun?"

Remus laughs lightly. "Don't worry, I always do."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily leaves the hospital wing after visiting Marlene briefly. She is still asleep; most likely under a Charm Madam Pomfrey put her under for the time being.

Now she is heading up to the Gryffindor Tower when she sees a flash from below. She runs to the window but cannot see where it had come from. All she sees is James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus heading out the Great Hall doors. She sees another flash and realizes it is James' watch reflecting off the slowly appearing moon.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You're late," James had said tensely to Sirius when they met in the Great Hall.

"Sorry, I was held up," said Sirius, equally tensely. "Snivellus being a pain in the arse again," he lied.

"Guys, it's twenty to eight," said Remus anxiously. "We need to get down there before _ten_ to eight."

James opened the big doors and Sirius and Peter led Remus out. They were really cutting it close on time but ten minutes was plenty to get Remus through the Whomping Willow tunnel and into the Shrieking Shack.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily continues to watch from the window and then to her surprise, sees another figure exiting through the big doors.

However, she cannot make out the figure since it is moving in the shadows but then they are hit by the moonlight and she gasps. The person following the Marauders, though they do not know it, is…

_Severus_.

She tears herself away from the window in horror and speeds down the stairs. Sure she is not friends with Severus anymore but that does not mean that she will let him get killed.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

He strides behind them, hiding from the slowly rising moon. He takes another stride and is illuminated by the moonlight. He also steps loudly on a twig. He inwardly curses as Potter spins around.

"Snape!" he shouts. "Get out of here!"

"Why don't you make me, Potter?" sneers Severus. "I'm going to finally find out where your little friend goes every month."

Remus pales. "Guys, we have to get out of here. The moon…"

"How did you know to come down here to begin with?" asks Peter.

Severus smirks at the rat-like boy. "Why don't you ask you friend, Black?" James turns and stares wide-eyed at Sirius.

"_You_ told him to come here?" he cries furiously. "How _could_ you? Remus can get kicked out! No one is supposed to ever find out!"

"Severus! Get out of here!" cries a voice in the background.

James closes his eyes, hoping he is imagining things and praying that it is not whom he thinks it is. He opens his eyes and his worst fear is confirmed.

"Lily! Get out of here and up to the castle!" he cries in anguish.

"I only came down because I saw Severus," says Lily. "Severus, you have to get out of here!"

"Why? I'm finally going to find out the reason Lupin disappears every month!"

"Severus, it's not worth it!" she cries. "You're going to get hurt!"

"Guys," pants Remus. It is 7:49:55.

James looks up at the moon. It is slowly appearing in five…four…three…two…

One.

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A/N: Please review!


	27. Instinct, Love, Loss, and Lies

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 27 – Instinct, Love, Loss, and Lies

_One_.

**Lily POV**

Remus yells in agony and I watch in horror as his body distorts in a way I never thought possible. I can hear his bones cracking and see them extending, along with the razor sharp teeth in his mouth.

I am frozen right next to Severus. It feels like my feet are suddenly nailed to the ground. Remus lets out a howl that sends shivers up my spine and no matter how fast I want to run I cannot.

He turns abruptly, probably sensing human presence, and sees me first. He pounces towards me but Severus whips out his wand and blasts him back. The werewolf howls in fury, as do James and Sirius. He gets back up though and charges again. Severus is not so fast this time and I close my eyes, preparing for pain.

"LILY!" James yells, and I think with some comfort that his voice will be the last one I will hear.

The pain never comes though.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

**Severus POV**

It makes perfect sense. Lupin is a werewolf and I had known it from the beginning. It makes absolute sense how he always disappears around the same time, the Shrieking Shack, and how it is "haunted". It has been him this whole time.

I am snapped back into reality, however, when he charges at Lily. The son-of-a-bitch nearly bites her when I shoot a well-aimed curse at him. He goes flying back and those bastards yell in fury. Would they have rather let the alternative happen? One question is floating in my mind though. Why had he not gone for Potter, Black, or Pettigrew? All three are directly next to him. Then I see it.

The three of them are illegal animagi!

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

**James POV**

"LILY!" I scream.

It is instinct that makes me call out to Lily and want to protect her from Remus. The second he pounces at her, all thoughts are cleared from my head except for one and one alone.

I have to protect Lily, even if it kills me in the process.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

_It never comes though._

Lily opens her eyes hesitantly to see a James in his gorgeous Stag form, in front of her. He has a deep gash in his neck and silver blood is pouring out of it. She resists the urge to reach out and fix it for him. He has already protected her once and approaching Remus would only be putting him in more danger. Not to mention that she would be hurting Remus in the process.

The werewolf next lunges at Severus, sensing his presence, and Severus closes his eyes also, waiting for the impact, but again it never comes. Lily vaguely wonders why he did not fight back and watches as James jumps in front of him and Remus bites him again only this time on his torso. He whimpers but stands adamantly in front of Severus and Lily, blocking them from view.

Her eyes are transfixed on the Stag as he charges at the werewolf once more. Then, with the reluctant help of a large, black dog, whom Lily knows is Sirius; they manage to push him back towards the tree.

That is when she notices that there is a lack in movement by the Whomping Willow and realizes it must be frozen, enabling Remus access through the trapdoor. She looks closer and she sees a rat by the base of the tree and realizes that must be Wormtail.

The Stag and the dog growl at the werewolf, attempting to break the barriers between the bloodthirsty animal and the true Remus.

The werewolf emits another howl and shrinks down the hole leading to the Shrieking Shack. The other animals follow after him, making sure he does not try to escape, and it is only a matter of seconds before they all disappear.

"S-Severus, go back to your common room," orders Lily. "We should have never seen this."

"No, I'm going straight to Professor Dumbledore," says Severus. "He can't allow that beast to stay any longer and Potter, Black, and Pettigrew are going to be expelled."

Lily's eyes narrow. "It wasn't their fault and no one was supposed to be here in the first place. Also, last time I checked _James_ saved you."

"So that's it, is it?" Severus bristles. "It's _James_ from now on? _James_ saved me? The only reason Potter saved me was to save his own fat arse!"

"How's that?" asks Lily, her temper rising.

"He obviously chickened out of the 'prank' at the last minute and decided that it would be to his benefit to act the hero! It's all an act Lily! It's always been the same, he's only been interested in you because you never gave in and now you have! It's only a matter of time before he gets bored and moves on! He regrets the words the second after they come out of his mouth.

Lily's eyes fill with tears of anger and fear. Severus has just voiced the very worries that she herself has been perseverating on (**A/N: No pun intended**).

"You're wrong," she says quietly, more to assure herself than him. "You're wrong and I never want to talk to you again. I should have never forgiven you and I'll regret that for as long as I live! Thanks to James tonight, that'll be longer."

She runs off, up to the castle, tears glistening in her eyes. She does not bother to look back so she never sees the tears swimming in Severus' own eyes.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The sun is slowly rising, gently caressing the still grey sky. Meanwhile, the moon is slowly disappearing behind the sun, using the fiery star as a sort of aegis.

Remus utters his last howl and then faints, transforming out of his werewolf form and into a human again. He clothes are torn but that can be easily fixed. Right now, the other Marauders have to get him up to the hospital wing as well as themselves.

James is still absolutely livid. He knows that Sirius is the one that coerced Severus to come down to the Whomping Willow, yet he can hardly believe it. Getting Severus down here is the ultimate betrayal towards Remus and James _knows_ how much Sirius values his and Remus' friendship.

James conjures a stretcher and limps up to the school with Sirius and Peter, Peter looking the best of them all. Then again, that is only because he cannot directly fight Remus.

The three walk with Remus next to them, enchanted, in a deafening silence.

"Prongs –" croaks Sirius. His tone is disconsolate and James can hear the longing for understanding in his voice.

"Save it," says James sharply. "This is neither the time or the place."

Sirius falls silent and Peter looks between both of his friends, confused on whom he should be siding with. He opts for James since he is most likely to come out better and with more than one person on his side.

_After all, that is what it is all about right?_ Thinks Peter. _Power, and even _I'm_ not weak enough to not seek it._

They enter the deserted castle, since it is still the early hours of the morning and they head straight for the hospital wing.

"What happened to you three?" cries Madam Pomfrey in anguish. "You look like something the owl carried in!"

"Gee, that's got to be the nicest welcome anyone's ever given to me," says James dryly. He purposely avoids the question and she asks nothing more.

"Watch it, Potter," teases Madam Pomfrey, leading them each over to a row of empty beds. "That brazen tone of yours might get you into trouble one day."

James shrugs and does not feel the need to reply. The matron passes this off as being tired and bustles around, giving each of them medicine to heal their "mysterious" wounds. James, however, has the slightest irking that she knows something but if she does, she does not bring it up and to that he is grateful. He is too tired to come up with clever excuses and his brain is on overload about what Sirius did and thinking of how Remus will react to it.

James rolls over on his right side and notices Sirius staring at him sadly.

"James –" he begins again.

James notes the use of his first name but rolls over to his other side so he will not have to look at Sirius. He hears him sigh but he does not turn back. While James knows all Sirius wants to do is elucidate the matter at hand, all he can think about is how Remus will react when they tell him what had happened later.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily did not sleep the previous night. She had spent all of her time thinking about what Severus had said and how James had protected her even if it meant nearly killing himself!

It is seven in the morning now (that Sunday morning) and knowing she will not get any sleep by this point, Lily gets up and takes a scolding hot shower. It does what she had hoped for, relieving her tense muscles, but it does not erase the feeling of dread that has settled in the pit of her stomach.

She gets out with a towel wrapped around her and jumps in surprise when she sees Alice staring at her calmly from her bed.

"You're up early," says Alice.

Lily is slightly unnerved by the hazy tone she is using. Something does not seem right.

"Erm – yeah, I didn't sleep well last night," says Lily distractedly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm worried," says Alice bluntly. "In all the times that we've seen Marlene, never once has Madam Pomfrey mentioned whether the baby is okay or not."

Lily's heart freezes in her chest. How could she have not asked such a simple yet important question?

"Should we go down now and check on her?" suggests Lily. "We can also ask Madam Pomfrey about the baby. Merlin, I hope he or she is alright."

"Me too," agrees Margaret solemnly. "Let me just take a shower and then we can all get dressed and go down."

Lily and Alice nod and listen to the shower running as they each pull out a pair of jeans, sneakers, and an old t-shirt.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Dorcas wanders the halls, thinking hard of where she stands with everyone.

Her roommates resent her, something she had never expected to happen in a million years. After all, they had gotten on so well for the first five and a half years. That is, until Margaret _stole_ Remus away from her. The only person who is still her friend throughout all of this is Mary.

She wonders idly what the mysterious person (who never told her, her identity) is doing now without a companion. Perhaps she has taken in someone else, Dorcas is positive it is a girl though that had been her "master".

Not paying attention to where she is going, she collides with someone else of the same body structure.

"Watch where you're going," sneers the person she collides with.

Dorcas picks up her glasses that had fallen off when they collided. Once they are back on, she clearly sees the face of Miranda Harris.

"Oh, it's _you_," Miranda smirks. Dorcas notes the contempt when Miranda utters the last word.

"What do you want?" asks Dorcas rather harshly.

"Nothing from you," replies Miranda coolly. "No, you're of no use to me anymore."

"Anymore?" asks Dorcas confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing of your concern. That is, anymore."

Leaving Dorcas speechless in confusion, Miranda strides off down the corridor, her blood, red nails sparkling in the sunlight.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily, Margaret, and Alice anything but run down the staircases leading to the infirmary when they nearly collide with a figure.

"Lily," croaks the voice.

"I'm not interested in talking to you," she says coldly. "Not after you tricked me, Marc."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sirius lies in his bed thinking. He should have never told Severus to go down to the Whomping Willow last night. Remus is sure to be furious and blame himself for what could have happened.

Professor Dumbledore has yet to speak to him and Sirius is sure he is going to get more than just a detention. Most likely he has already spoken to Severus since he knows now what Remus is. After all, they do not want to risk anyone else finding out about Remus' lycanthropy. So many people know now including: Lily, Margaret, the Marauders, Alice, Severus, Marlene, Professor Dumbledore, and the whole Hogwarts staff.

He gets out of bed and walks over to visit Marlene's. She is still sleeping peacefully, mostly because Madam Pomfrey gave her a Potion that would enable it.

There is something in the back of his mind that he knows he is forgetting…what is it though?

He stares at Marlene, thinking about how wonderful a mother she will be…

Mother.

Is the baby okay?

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Lily – I'm sorry," stutters Marc. His hair, which is normally sandy-brown, has changed to a pale, baby blue, matching how he is feeling. "I-I've always cared about you –"

"Save it," says Lily hurt. "If you truly cared about me then you wouldn't have lied to my face every time I saw you."

Before he can reply, Margaret jumps in.

"What do you even _want?"_ she asks coldly.

"I want L-Lily's forgiveness."

"That would be impossible," says Lily bluntly, and Marc looks as if he has been slapped across the face. "I've already tried forgiving someone and it blew up in my face. Besides, in order to forgive I'd have to forget all the damage you could have and _did_ cause. I'm pretty sure I've never seen James lose his temper like that in all my years here at Hogwarts and I'm happy with him now."

"He was bluffing," says Marc, shrugging it off. "He doesn't really love you Lily, he's always fancied himself your knight in shining armor –"

"That's a load of rubbish!" shouts Alice. "James loves Lily like sun loves the moon!"

"And I return his feelings," Lily says coldly.

"You've said it your –"

"Don't interrupt," says Lily, holding up her hand. "Secondly, if you knew me at all you'd know I don't need nor do I want a knight to protect me. I can damn well protect myself and have proved so on multiple occasions if you do not know. So I'm going to tell you once and only once. Stay the hell away from –"

"_Davis_," growls a voice from behind Lily, Margaret, and Alice.

They turn around and see Severus standing there, his fists in balls. Lily wonders how long he has been standing there for. From the look in his eyes, however, she knows that he heard what she said about her feelings towards James.

"You've resurfaced, I see," he says.

"He resurfaced back in February," says Lily, speaking to Severus with the coolness she had shown towards Marc. "What do you _want_ Severus?"

"I heard some loud voices and decided to investigate." He looks away from her as he says this and it only confirms her belief that he had been there for longer than he is letting on.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" asks Lily. "I would have thought Professor Dumbledore would have requested a meeting with you."

"He already did." Severus looks out the window, thinking of the previous night.

_-Flashback-_

"_Come in." Severus opens the Headmaster's doors and walks into the office._

"_Sit down, Severus," says the aging Wizard. "Care for a lemon drop?"_

"_No thank you, sir."_

"_Yes, I quite agree. What we have to talk about is far more serious then some Muggle sweet. No, what is more pressing is a schoolboy grudge you, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Black hold."_

"_They set me up," says Severus hastily. "They knew Lupin would be there and I could be dead –"_

"_Yet you are not," says Professor Dumbledore calmly._

"_Only because Potter got cold feet –"_

"_Have you ever stopped to think that perhaps James _saved_ you last night?" interrupts Professor Dumbledore once more. "Perhaps he was not aware of the circumstances that presented themselves."_

"_He knew," says Severus determinedly. "Am I correct in assuming you will not expel him nor Black?"_

"_You are indeed correct. Although, Mr. Black will have to pay severely for his lack of judgment that showed last night."_

"_You cannot lack what you do not have," mutters Severus._

"_I beg your pardon?"_

"…_Nothing, sir."_

"_I must implore upon you, Mr. Snape, not to reveal Mr. Lupin's disease to anyone, including your friends," says Professor Dumbledore. The twinkle in his eyes has gone out and Severus knows he is adamant._

"_But –"_

"_Severus, you know as well as I do that Mr. Lupin would have never forgiven himself if something happened to you or Miss Evans."_

"_How did you -?" begins Severus._

"_Know that Lily was there also?" says Professor Dumbledore before Severus can finish. "I would have thought it obvious. Such flaming red hair sticks out like a sore thumb when running up to the castle in anguish."_

_Severus shifts uncomfortably in his chair, very well aware that Professor Dumbledore can see right through him._

"_She is happy Mr. Snape," is all he says. Severus does not look at him though and instead averts his eyes to the Phoenix on its perch. Professor Dumbledore sighs._

"_So Severus, do I have your word that you will nary speak of this night to _anyone_?" asks Professor Dumbledore, scrutinizing him._

_Severus shifts again under the sharp gaze._

"_Yes, sir."_

_-End Flashback-_

"Anyway," Severus continues, wiping the memory from his mind, "what's going on here? Is this arse bothering you?"

"You're one to talk Snape," sneers Marc. "Especially after what you called Lily last year."

"That's rich considering you called me it also," snaps Lily, watching Severus out of the corner of her eye.

It happens so fast. Severus walks up to Marc and punches him in the eye and then the jaw. For someone who has seldom resorted to Muggle dueling, Severus is stronger than he looks. Perhaps he would not be able to duel James or Sirius that way but he sure caught Marc off guard and gives him a broken jaw and black eye.

"What the _hell?"_ cries Marc, wincing as he talks. "What the bloody hell was that for?"

"I was a prat for calling Lily that even if it was an accident," says Severus seething. "But for someone to call her that filthy word on purpose…well in my book that is far worse."

Lily cannot help but disagree with part of that. Severus had been her friend and Marc is just a jerk who wants her for her body. There is a big difference between the situations and as much as Lily wishes she can side with Severus, she cannot do so without feeling hypocritical.

"Come on Lily, let's go," whispers Margaret.

Lily jumps, being broken out of her thoughts and then remembering the actual reason they had left their common room.

She nods and with one last look at both of the boys, they walk off to their desired destination.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Severus wants to call out to her, to tell her to stop, but he cannot. She is the reason he does not tell Dumbledore about those prats being animagi. He knows it will hurt her if they are expelled and shipped off to Azkaban, no matter how much they deserve it. She probably will never know how hard it is for Severus to keep his mouth shut though, or else she does not care. That is when it strikes Severus that she will probably never forgive him and nothing he does will change it.

He is still going to try and get her to forgive him, do not misunderstand, but his attempts will be fruitless when deep down he know he is fighting a losing battle.

The two of them have changed over the years. They are not the same intimidated first years that arrived via Hogwarts Express. No longer are they in denial about their House rivalries and that they can be friends no matter what.

Most of all, _he_ is no longer in denial that Lily is falling for Potter and he is in love with her.

And _that_, is what hurts the most.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily, Margaret, and Alice walk into the hospital wing to see several beds occupied, three of which are open for the general public to see. They split up and Lily goes over to visit James' bed to thank him for what he did last night.

"You're a hero, you know that, right?" she says, coming to sit down next to his bed.

James rolls his eyes and takes her hand in his rough, calloused one. "I'm not a hero. Hero's are only in those sappy Muggle fairytales." Lily stares at him incredulously.

"You jumped in front of a _werewolf_ to protect me and got bit in the neck _and_ the torso!" she cries. "I don't care if you won't allow me to call you _a_ hero but at least let me call you _my_ hero."

"Oh, well that's better," grins James. His face then turns grim and serious. "Lily, I'd protect you if it meant jumping in front of a killing curse with the result of myself being killed or a minor result like a bite in the neck."

Lily's eyes are wide from that last comment. Is what James just said not exactly what it means to be in love with someone? Lily cannot wrap her mind around it but if she walks away from that bed knowing something that day, it is that James does in fact love her.

"That's a really serious thing to say," says Lily nervously.

"I mean it," says James seriously. "I would do anything for you Lily, even if it means dying so you can live on."

Lily's eyes fill with tears.

"Kind of like that song…how does it go…?" says James absentmindedly. He begins humming the tune to _Your Guardian Angel_. "I'll be there for you through it all…even if saving **you **sends **me **to heaven –"

"James! That song wasn't meant to be taken in the literal sense!" cries Lily in anguish.

"Why not? The first time I heard it is when my sister played it on the piano. I knew then that it would relate to us, even if you refused to admit it. You might not need protecting but in every way that counts I will always be your guardian angel."

Lily is speechless. The tears that have been threatening to fall for a while now begin dancing down her gentle cheeks. He raises his hand and wipes them for her and then cups his right hand under her chin.

"I will always be there for you, Lily," he whispers. "You will always be in my heart." He notices something else in her eyes though and his eyes turn concerned. "There's something else bothering you. What is it?"

She averts her eyes from him and looks at the bed linens.

"Nothing, it's stupid," she mutters.

"Nothing about you is stupid. Please tell me, Lils."

Lily bites her lip. "I – You weren't just after me for the thrill of the chase, were you?"

James' eyes darken but he does not break eye contact.

"Of course I wasn't, why would you ever think that?"

"I – I wasn't sure because lately people have been telling me –"

"_What_ people?" Lily swallows.

"Severus and _Marc_."

James' complexion changes from confusion to anger in a matter of seconds.

"I don't want you talking to either of those bastards," he says, his voice low and venomous. Lily gives him a look.

"I don't exactly go seeking them out James. They – They kept voicing my fears though that…that one day –"

"I'll wake up and realize I no longer have feelings for you?" He does not say this angrily but there is a touch of sadness in his voice. Lily nods ashamed.

"I'm sorry, I should have never said anything. We were –"

"I'm glad you told me, Lily," he says sincerely. He sits up a little more, stiff, and continues to stare into her emerald, green orbs. "I want you to know Lily that I will _never_ move on from you. Merlin knows I have tried and I only fell harder. You mean too much to me. You have to know that."

Lily nods, her eyes threatening to betray her again.

"I do," she says sincerely. She leans in to kiss him and he kisses her back.

Lily's eyes are glassy as she stands up and walks out of his sectioned off area. She walks over to where Alice is standing talking to Sirius. She turns to face Lily when she approaches.

"Lily! Why didn't you tell me you were outside by the Whomping Willow last night?" she cries.

"It slipped my mind," says Lily, wiping her eyes. Alice then notices that she has been crying and looks alarmed.

"Are you okay? Did I upset you?"

Lily shakes her head. "It's nothing. What have you guys been talking about?"

"Does she know?" Alice asks, turning to Sirius. Sirius shrugs.

"Did James tell you the reason that Sniv – Snape was down by the Whomping Willow last night?" he asks uncertainly.

"Erm – no. We were talking about – erm, other stuff," says Lily, and Alice scrutinizes her. "Do I _want_ to know why he was there?"

"Probably not, so I won't bother you –" begins Sirius.

Alice sighs. "Sirius told Snape to go down there if he wanted to see where Remus went every month."

"You _what?"_ hisses Lily. "Remus is going to blow a gasket when he finds out!

"A what?"

"Never mind!" says Lily impatiently. "Why would you do that? Has Professor Dumbledore talked to you yet?"

"No. I have a meeting with him at six this evening," replies Sirius grimly. "To be perfectly honest, I don't know why I did it. I guess because I was frustrated about all he did to you and Marlene."

Lily groans. "Sirius, you know Marlene's going to kill –"

"Wait, Marlene!" cries Alice.

"Erm – no, I'm Sirius and this is _Lily_," says Sirius confused.

Alice gives him a look. "No. I mean _Lily_, are you forgetting the actual reason that we came here?"

Lily pauses for a second and then smacks her head.

"MADAM POMFREY!" they both shriek, running out of Sirius' sectioned off area.

"Ughhh, what's going on?" croaks a voice from behind closed curtains. Margaret draws back the curtains to reveal Remus.

"Bloody hell, who turned on the sun?" groans another.

"Remus! Marlene! Good morning!" cry both girls enthusiastically. Margaret snorts and smiles sympathetically at the werewolf whose head is now throbbing.

Madam Pomfrey comes bustling out of her office and stares at Lily and Alice scandalized.

"May I ask the reason why you are shouting in my infirmary?" she asks in a would-be-calm voice. She looks like she is a millisecond away from shrieking too, but in anger.

"What happened?" interrupts Marlene. "How long have I been out for?"

"Since yesterday afternoon," says Lily. "You were Stunned and fell over the guardrail at Hogsmeade."

"Wow, that sounds so Soap Opera-ish," grins Alice. "How many people can say that they know someone who fell off a mini-cliff and live to tell the tale?"

"Is the baby okay?" asks Marlene immediately. "Please tell me that the baby's okay!"

"That's what we wanted to ask," explains Alice and Lily.

"And that's what I _forgot_ to ask!" calls Sirius.

Madam Pomfrey's angry expression fades and instead her face turns sad.

"I'm so sorry, Marlene," she says. "I had to remove the fetus. It suffered internal damage when you fell and died. I'm sorry Marlene, but you did in fact have a miscarriage."

The tears in Lily, Margaret, and Alice's eyes are nothing compared to how Marlene and Sirius are feeling now.

_Our child…our child is…_dead thinks Sirius in anguish. It is incomprehensible…how can someone who entered their lives so quickly be _gone?_

Meanwhile, Marlene is struggling not to cry out in pain. In the end, she cannot hold it in.

"NOOOOOOO!" she wails. "THE BABY _CAN'T_ BE DEAD! I CAN'T LOSE SOMEONE I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO MEET!" She succumbs into tears and Sirius comes over to comfort her. She buries her face in his chest and sobs uncontrollably.

Madam Pomfrey does not even tell him off for getting out of bed and looks heartbroken as she watches Sirius try and comfort Marlene. She then excuses herself to let them be alone.

"It's all my fault," sobs Marlene. "I shouldn't have provoked –"

"It's _not_ your fault," says Sirius angrily. Marlene hiccups, afraid of seeing him so angry. "Who Stunned you? I swear to Merlin, Marlene, tell me who Stunned you so I can kill them."

"N – No, Sirius, don't do anything," chokes Marlene. "It was m-my fault -!"

"Stop saying that, Marlene," whispers Lily. "It _wasn't_ your fault. If anything it was my fault! I've been a constant danger to all of you, it was _me_ they were coming after and you only got caught in the crossfire!"

"Will you two _stop_ blaming yourselves?" says James, who had wandered over. "Please don't take this the wrong way but you're both acting like bloody _eejits_. If you want to place the blame on someone else besides those bastard Slytherins, blame _us_. We should have been there –"

"But you had a commitment to a friend and that's understandable," intervenes Alice.

"We would have done the same thing," adds Lily. "Imagine what would have happened if you _hadn't_ been with Remus last night. That would have been disastrous and –"

"Wait, what happened last night?" asks Remus confused. "Did I hurt someone?"

"We just got some scratches," says James worriedly. He moves into view so Remus can see him and Remus gasps.

"Did I…_bite_ you?" he says horrified. "Prongs, I'm so –"

"It's fine, it doesn't even hurt anymore," says James sincerely. "But –"

"But what?" asks Remus sharply. "Did I hurt Padfoot or Wormtail?"

James winces. "Nothing serious. Just a few scratches like I said but –"

"_What_ then?"

"Lily and Snape were there," blurts out Sirius. He stands now next to James.

Remus pales. "Did I -?"

"No. I jumped in front of them and Sirius helped fight you off into the tunnel." Remus looks half relieved, half confused.

"You never call him by his first name," he points out.

James stares at Remus and refuses to look Sirius in the eye, mostly because to do so makes him feel sick to his stomach.

"Why were they there to begin with?" continues Remus, not noticing the tension between his two friends. "Lily knows not to come down during a full moon, she would have only come if she knew Snape was coming –"

"Yeah Lily, how did you know Snape was down there?" asks Sirius, changing the direction of the topic.

Lily raises an eyebrow, fully aware of his motives.

"He was reflected in the moonlight," she replies shortly. "The only reason I was watching from the window though was because James' watch was hit by the light and it reflected up to the Gryffindor Tower."

Remus has an unreadable expression on his face.

"You guys still haven't answered _why_ Snape was down there to begin with, you know."

The three exchange a look. Sirius opens his mouth to tell him what happened when someone else does it for him.

"Padfoot told him to go down there if he wanted to see where you went every month," answers Peter stupidly.

"He _what?"_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Frank is wandering the halls lost in thought. He has to think of a way to win Alice back. She has every right to be angry with him but he thought she would have forgiven him by now. He realizes he is stupid to have overlooked the fact that she is one of the most hardheaded people he has ever met, even if she denies it.

He rounds the corner and nearly collides with a shaken Dorcas.

"Dorcas, are you okay?" he asks, straightening up.

She nods, then she pauses and shakes her head.

"I don't know," is what she settles for.

"What happened?"

Dorcas shivers. "Miranda Harris happened. I swear, that girl is ninety five pounds of pure _evil_."

Frank smirks. "Tell me something I _don't_ know. It's funny, she seems to be missing in action a lot lately. It's almost like she's sneaking –" He freezes.

_-Flashback-_

_Frank runs back to the common room to check if the coast is clear and what meets his eyes is shocking. Remus and Margaret on the couch with barely anything on. Do they not know that anyone besides him could have walked in? He assumes no one knows this, especially Alice and knows they will not be thrilled to realize this is the reason Remus and Dorcas broke up. It all makes sense. They must have been doing this before they broke up and Remus felt guilty. Now he is a free agent and can do whatever he wants with whomever he wants to do it with. This does not make sense though. This kind of thing is usually reserved for Sirius not Remus. He shakes his head and closes the portrait hole, just in time to here a:_

_CLICK!_

"It was a camera," he whispers to himself.

"Pardon?" Dorcas asks confused.

"Dorcas, what _exactly_ did Miranda say to you?" asks Frank urgently.

Dorcas thinks for a long moment. "She didn't seem too surprised that she bumped into me…she also said that I was of no use to her anymore and when I asked what she meant she said it was nothing of my concern _anymore_."

Frank thinks hard for another long moment.

"You were pretty upset when Remus broke up with you, correct?"

Dorcas looks surprised. "Erm – yeah, I guess so. Wouldn't you be?"

"Erm – I'm not the best comparison but _anyway_," Frank continues. "Did you try and do anything drastic to get vengeance?"

Dorcas now looks very uncomfortable.

"Well…yeah, I did."

"Did you request help?"

"No, I was the one requested."

"By whom?" asks Frank, fear growing in the pit of his stomach.

"I don't know," says Dorcas honestly. "They never showed me their face and said that it wasn't important who they were. I know it was a girl though."

"One last question," says Frank. "Did you ever get any evidence to use against Remus or anyone else?"

Dorcas nods hesitantly. "The person got pictures – wait, where are you going with this?"

Frank groans. "Dorcas, I'll eat a hippogriff if I'm wrong but I'm fairly certain you were unknowingly working with Miranda Harris."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You were supposed to go after the Mudblood _Evans_, not the Bloodtraitor McKinnon!" cries Voldemort furiously. "_Crucio!"_

Alecto Carrow writhes on the floor in pain. She screams in agony as the white-hot pain sears her bones. She screams for the pain to stop and eventually Lord Voldemort complies.

"You know what the Dark Lord does to those who mess up," says Voldemort coldly. "Perhaps you need another dose of the Dark Lord's vengeance?"

"N–No, my Lord," says Alecto, kneeling before her Master. "I'm s-sorry, my Lord."

Voldemort walks to the window and looks out of the Headquarters.

"Lily Evans is far more trouble than she's worth," he spits, staring at the slowly rising sun. "She's untouchable when under Dumbledore's watch, even with my recruits in the school. Even when away from the Muggle-loving fool Dumbledore she is an advanced dueler. She thwarted my best servant and came out on top, which is extraordinary for someone of her filthy blood."

"My Lord, if you will allow me to try again –" murmurs Alecto.

"Send in Severus," says Voldemort harshly. "_Now_."

Alecto bows and scurries from the room to call in Severus. A second later, the greasy-haired boy walks in, calm and collected.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"I am under the impression Severus, that you are hiding something from me," says Voldemort, not straying from the window. "The Dark Lord always knows when one of his own is hiding something."

"Hiding what, my Lord?"

"You tell me, Severus," said Voldemort impatiently. "How come the Black boy suffered more damage under your curse than the Mudblood Evans?"

Severus cringes at the use of the foul name. Voldemort does not miss this and spins around, his blood red eyes narrow into slats.

"Perhaps it is because you _fancy_ the Mudblood," he sneers. "Is this true, Severus? Have you grown to _want_ the dirty blood?"

Severus shakes his head vehemently.

"My lord, I would never like anyone of her parentage," lies Severus.

"_Lies_," hisses the Dark Lord. "The Dark Lord knows when you're lying, Severus. He _always_ knows."

"I swear on it, my Lord. I do not _want_ the Mudblood in any way, shape, or form. She was merely a childhood friend but I have grown to realize I should have surrounded myself by much nobler friends."

"I have realized my grave mistake, my Lord," continues Severus slickly, his defensive barriers up. "For no one should be friends with someone so dirty, and should surround themselves with those of whom are worth more." It kills Severus to say all of this but he knows he has to unless he is prepared to be killed then and there and never to be found.

Voldemort is silent throughout this whole speech. He thinks he hears some truth and some lies but he does not harp on it.

"I am glad that you have grown to see it my way, Severus," he says quietly. He then has a wicked grin. "So, I suppose you will not mind disposing of the dirty blood once and for all?"

Severus gulps. "When and where?"

"It has to be over the summer when she's not protected by Dumbledore," says Voldemort absentmindedly. "I have sources that know she's planning on getting a flat with her Bloodtraitor friends. You will lure her away from them and kill her then. Now be gone, and leave me to my scheming."

Severus, although he wants to say more, leaves the room, lost in thought.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You did _what?"_ says Remus shocked.

Sirius looks afraid and glares at Peter. Peter shrinks back under his covers in fear and Sirius sighs.

"I'm sorry, Moony –" he begins.

"Like hell you are!" cries Remus. "How could you _do_ that to me? Now yet_ another_ person knows about my lycanthropy! What were you thinking?"

"Remus –" begins Margaret but Sirius cuts her off.

"I wasn't –"

"Of course you weren't thinking! How could you be? Unless you're really that stupid, in which case, you're a bloody _eejit!_ Did you even stop to think that Snape wouldn't hesitate in telling the whole bloody school?"

"He won't, Professor Dumbledore will make sure of it," says Lily. "You won't be expelled Remus, this isn't your fault."

"What if something had happened?"

"_Nothing_ happened," says James.

"Remus, I'm –" begins Sirius again. Remus cuts him off though.

"I'm tired, I think I'm going to get some sleep," says Remus coldly. Without another word he draws the curtains, leaving him and Margaret alone. They can hear their whispers but nothing discernable.

Sirius makes a face and walks over to sit next to Marlene's bed. Lily does not know what he is saying to comfort her but it seems to be working.

"We're going to head out and get some breakfast, but we'll be back in a little while," says Alice. Lily nods and after getting a denial to going to breakfast from Margaret, her and Alice duck out, lost in thought.

As Lily and Alice make their way back from the Great Hall they hear some talking going on in the next corridor over. Finding this peculiar, they decide to investigate.

They turn the corner and see an unusual couple discussing something. They seem to be disagreeing.

"Frank? What are you doing?" asks Lily confused. She feels Alice stiffen up next to her as she realizes he is talking to Dorcas.

Frank turns to the source of Lily's voice. He is about to reply when he realizes Alice is standing there too.

"I ran into Dorcas a couple of minutes ago and she looked bothered," he explains. "She had been talking to Miranda beforehand."

"What did Miranda want?" asks Alice, looking at both Frank and Dorcas coolly. Frank sighs.

"She was basically giving Dorcas subliminal messages that she should realize something but Dorcas had no idea what she was talking about until –"

"Let me guess, you cleared it up for her?"

"What's your problem?" asks Dorcas harshly.

"You," retorts Alice. "You've wrecked everything as far as I'm concerned. You're the reason that Remus and Margaret had to keep their relationship so wrapped up. They were afraid you would do something to get the whole school against them!"

"How would you know? If Margaret is really your friend then she would have told you!" shouts Dorcas.

"Guys –" begins Lily.

"SHUT UP! How _DARE_ you talk about Margaret after what you did to her! All you did was give her hell this past year!" shrieks Alice. Her eyes are practically bugging out of their sockets. She looks deranged, a look that neither Lily nor Frank have ever seen on her and never want to see again.

"You act like she is some Saint!" yells Dorcas. "She only _STOLE MY BOYFRIEND!"_

"YOU _LOST_ YOUR BOYFRIEND BECAUSE YOU'RE A DERANGED, PHYSCO, B –"

Lily raises up her wand and emits a cannon sound, like Remus had done earlier in the year. Everyone jumps and turns to look at her.

"I've had it up to _here_ – _she raises her hand above her head_ – with this rubbish that you two have been arguing about," she says angrily. "It's bad enough you were angry at each other _before_ Margaret was nearly killed but do you think she wants to hear you guys _still_ harping on this?"

No one says anything and Frank just stands there looking like he would like nothing else but to run away.

"Now you two are going to apologize and be friends again or else I swear to Merlin, I'm prepared to lock you both in a closet until you work it out. If it makes it easier, I'll apologize first."

Lily lowers her wand and looks at Dorcas.

"I'm sorry for being nasty towards you since I don't know when," she says. "It's getting out of hand and I never imagined it would escalate this far."

Dorcas nods too. "I'm sorry as well," is all she can manage. Her and Lily hug and then she and Alice just stand staring at each other. Alice is breathing heavily. Apologizing to people is not at the top of her list of things she enjoys doing or is good at.

She sighs and grudgingly says, "I'm sorry for acting like a complete bitch. I know it's not _entirely_ your fault that Margaret kept her relationship a secret from us. I guess it was just easier and more convenient to blame you."

Dorcas nods. Then she says, "I'm sorry as well. I wish I could take back the things I said to Margaret. If I could redo everything I would in a _heartbeat_."

Alice nods and steps forward hesitantly, then they both hug (**A/N: This is the moment where you all go, 'awwww' =D**).

When they pull apart Dorcas bids them goodbye and walks back to the common room with more of a spring in her step. Alice then turns to Frank.

They just stare at each other, at a loss for words.

"What can I do to allow you to forgive me?" he breathes. Lily holds her breath.

Alice stares at him for a long moment. It seems like she is not going to answer until she says:

"Never keep a secret from me again."

Frank's face breaks into a grin that stretches from ear-to-ear. He walks over to Alice like he is in a dream and pulls her into a passionate kiss. She responds immediately and her eyes flutter shut. She knows right then – and is sure she knew it all along – that this is what it feels like to be in love.

Lily smiles in relief. Hopefully all this reconciliation will mean that they will have a decent rest of the year.

Unfortunately, Remus is not likely to forgive Sirius anytime soon for what he did last night.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Remus lays in his bed, pretending to be asleep so he does not have to see Margaret's pitying eyes, and contemplates everything that he has been told.

So it is Sirius' fault that Severus and Lily were almost killed. It kills him that he had trusted Sirius and clearly that did not mean enough to get over a petty grudge. Sure, Remus dislikes Severus, but it is merely due to a connection through his friends and he would never have been able to forgive himself if something had happened to even him. And if something had happened to Lily…

Merlin. That would have been a living nightmare to see James' haunted expression every day. He would have surely been kicked out of Hogwarts and shunned from society. Not that many people have much to do with him as it is but that is not even the brunt of it. He would have to live with himself for being responsible for an innocent person's death or lycanthropy.

He rolls over, trying to find a more comfortable position. He can hear Margaret's easy breathing next to him and it puts him at slight ease. He also hears Peter's snores and Sirius' heavy breathing. Hearing the latter sound so peaceful and unbothered enrages him. How can he possibly be sleeping when he could have been largely responsible for two innocent lives, one his best mate's girlfriend and the other one the childhood _friend_ of his best mate's girlfriend? It _disturbs_ Remus that it does not affect Sirius the way it is affecting him.

Suddenly the breathing stops and Remus knows he is not the only one awake anymore. He hears sniffling and then whispers that belong to Sirius and Marlene. He is sure that Sirius is probably whispering comforting words to her but even after they stop, the heavy breathing does not resume.

This makes Remus feel a little better. Sirius does not deserve to sleep peacefully after what he has done. His conscience should be on overload right now, anyone else's would be.

He hears Margaret sigh next to him.

"I know that you're awake Remus, you look like you're about to explode with anger," she says wearily.

Remus rolls over so he can face her, dropping the façade.

"Well wouldn't you do the same?" he says shortly. "That jackass nearly got two innocent people killed and you _know_ I would have never been able to live with myself!"

"Sirius made a dumbass decision," agrees Margaret, and Remus snorts.

"That's an understatement."

"But he is suffering even if you don't want to believe it," continues Margaret. Remus looks at her incredulously. "Don't look at me like that. Perhaps you couldn't hear them due to your loud, angry thoughts but in case you failed to notice, both him and Marlene are distraught over losing their unborn child."

"It is unfortunate and I feel terrible for Marlene," says Remus grudgingly. Margaret gives him a sharp look.

"_And_ Sirius. You're not a spiteful person, Remus, you wouldn't wish pain upon another person, especially not this kind. Sirius is going through close to the same amount of pain as Marlene, you have to acknowledge that." Remus says nothing for a moment.

"They could have _died_," he says distraught, and Margaret immediately knows whom the "they" is.

"And I'm not defending his actions but both him _and_ James were there to prevent it. Nothing happened that night and I know it will be hard to trust Sirius for a while but you should try and work past this."

Remus sighs and tries to close his eyes again and Margaret takes this as a dismissal. She stands up, straightening her skirt, and kisses him on the forehead before taking off. He immediately feels bad though for being rude and vows to apologize to her later.

Remus rolls over once more and falls into an uneasy sleep. Full of dreams about werewolves, full moons, and Margaret intervening on occasion. The worse is when Margaret is present during the full moons and when he has those he will wake up panicked and sweaty, finding it more difficult than before to fall back asleep.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sirius finds it difficult to stay asleep for long. Most of the Marauders hate him now. He is pretty sure Remus will stick out being angry for a while and James is not happy with him either. Peter is likely to only side with them since it will guarantee him more help and security if he needs it and who can blame any of them? He has made a royal arse of himself for even _thinking_ of putting Severus in Remus' line of fire during the full moon.

He falls back to sleep for a little while then wakes up to sniffling.

"Marley?"

"Don't call me that," says Marlene. She does not snap at him this time for calling her that. It sounds more like a tired response and that worries Sirius.

"You're not still blaming yourself, are you?" he asks.

Marlene sighs. "I have to Sirius. It's completely my fault that I lost our baby. I'm so sorry." Sirius' eyes fill with tears even if he does not want them to.

"It's _not_ you fault," he says vehemently, wiping away the tears. "I'm going to _kill_ those Slytherin bastards. I'll pick them off one by one if I have to –"

"You can't," sighs Marlene. "You'll only end up getting in more trouble. Speaking of which, isn't Professor Dumbledore coming to talk to you tonight?"

Sirius curses. "Damn it, you're right. _Why_ did I have to go through with that stupid plan again?"

"Because your hubris is your downfall?"

"Thanks, I knew there was a reason." Marlene smiles slightly to herself. "You're not mad at me though for it?"

"No," she sighs again. "I know your intentions were what you thought was best and you just had bad judgment. I'm just – glad nothing bad came out of it." Sirius shivers, thinking of what could have happened. James could have watched the girl he loves die before her eyes.

"I'm going to get some sleep," she continues. "You should try to also. I'm sorry for waking you up."

"It's fine. 'Night," he says. He can hear her faint snores again and smiles. He would gladly move land and water if it means protecting Marlene and he should have been there for her today.

It is _his_ fault that she lost their unborn child and he will never forgive himself for that.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: I do not own _Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus_ and I do not own part of the scene between James and Lily, which I got from TheFifthCharmedOne's story _Forever and a Day_. Please review!


	28. Promises and Imprisonment

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 28 – Promises and Imprisonment

May fades into June and exams are now approaching. Lily and Remus, as usual, are studying their arses off and James and Sirius, as usual, are planning to wait until the day before to begin studying.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt you to pick up a book," says Remus waspishly. He has been on edge lately since the incident with Severus and Lily and the upcoming exams are not helping his stress level or his blood pressure. James and Peter are playing an obnoxiously loud game of Exploding Snap and are shouting trash talk at each other, which is unusual for Peter since he is usually so quiet. Sirius is watching from the sidelines, morose at the fact that his best mate is no longer talking to him.

"We _could_, but that would be counterproductive," grins James.

"How so?" asks Margaret, closing her Charms textbook; grateful for the distraction. Lily glares at her, for it was her whom Margaret had been quizzing.

"It would go against all of our morals," explains James, returning to the game, laughing at Peter's singed eyebrows.

"Shut it," grumbles Peter. The comment only makes everyone laugh harder, with the exception of Lily and Remus.

"_Some_ of us aren't able to just look at a page and memorize all there is to know on it," says Lily with a hint of brazenness in her voice.

"Oh Lils, you know you love me," says James, flashing a grin.

Lily blushes and allows him to kiss her on the top of her heads. Afterwards, she looks back down at her Charms notes, but she cannot read them to save her life. She can feel Sirius' eyes piercing through her and she looks up and glares at him.

"_What?"_

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" he asks seriously (**A/N: I can't write it for him and keep a straight face**).

Lily looks at him strangely but nods and follows him off to the corner by the guys' dormitory. They sit down on the staircase and Lily can feel James' eyes on them.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Can I also talk to you two?" asks Alice to Remus and Margaret.

The two of them look at her in surprise. It has been weeks since Alice has spoken to either one of them, still being mad over not being told of their relationship.

"Erm…sure," Remus says hesitantly. "What's up?"

Margaret, however, is more resigned and unwilling to hear what Alice has to say. After all, this is the girl who is supposedly one of her best friends yet she has been nothing but unwilling to be accepting of Margaret's relationship with Remus. It hurts Margaret a lot and she is not sure how easily she will be able to move on from that.

Alice takes a deep breath before plunging in.

"I'm sorry for being so judgmental about your relationship," she begins. "I still believe I had a right to be upset but I took it too far. I let my anger and bitterness of not being in the know but a strain on my friendship with both of you and only caused you guys more stress and anxiety. I'm so sorry for giving you guys so much grief and…I hope you'll accept my apology."

Remus nods, being the ever-forgiving person that he is, but Margaret is not swayed so easily.

"That is a half-ass apology," she says bluntly, and Remus winces. Alice is not hurt though but expected this. She would have been shocked if Margaret had immediately forgiven her. "Why now? Why are you _finally_ willing to accept our relationship? It's because you and Frank are good again, isn't it? You figured you might as well do it all in one go and 'make up' with everyone."

"That's part of it," Alice replies honestly. "I _have_ been feeling bad though about being so mean towards you two. I never considered that you two may genuinely –"

"And what makes you so sure that we'll jump right up and forgive you?" Margaret asks.

"I'm not and I wouldn't blame you if you didn't forgive me any time soon, but to never forgive me would be pretty drastic."

There is a moment of silence when no one speaks and the only noise is the chatter surrounding them. Remus whispers something in Margaret's ear and she gives him a look. She mutters something back that Alice thinks she hears as "hypocrite" but then concedes anyway.

"Alright, I'll forgive you," she says begrudgingly. "But you'd better watch yourself Smith." She gets up, gathering her things as she does so, and after kissing Remus goodbye she goes to her dormitory. Alice beams at Remus.

"Thanks for –"

"I don't entirely forgive you either," he says honestly, and she falls silent. "What you did, although it didn't affect me greatly, hurt Margaret _tremendously_. The reason I talked her into laying this to rest though is for Lily's sake."

Alice nods numbly and watches as he goes also, leaving her alone. She has some comfort in knowing though that things can only get better from here.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"What's up?" asks Lily impatiently. "I need to –"

"You _need_ to listen to me," says Sirius.

Lily tries to read his face to see if he is being sarcastic or serious but finds it unreadable.

"Fine," she says shrugging. "Proceed."

Sirius seems to be struggling on what to say now that he has her attention.

"Please don't hurt Pr – James," pleads Sirius. Lily is taken aback. "We may be fighting right now but I don't want to see him crushed again. So _please_, don't get second thoughts on saying you love or deciding to finally go out with him. I've never seen him so happy."

Lily sighs. "I get where you're coming from Sirius but there's just one thing."

"What?"

"I do intend on breaking James' heart."

Sirius looks at her briefly for a moment and then looks relieved.

"Well good! Then we're done here!" He moves to walk away but Lily holds him down.

"I'm so scared Sirius."

Sirius stares at her for a moment and slowly sits down again. He puts his finger in his ear as if to indicate that he did not hear her.

"I'm sorry, I must have heard wrong," he says. "Did I just hear the great Lily Evans is _afraid?"_ Lily smacked his arm.

"Shut it," she mutters. "Yes, you heard correctly Sirius, the 'great' Lily Evans _is_ indeed afraid."

"But…_why?"_ questions Sirius. "You're not honestly afraid that James will dump you, are you?" Lily runs her fingers through her hair.

"No, I believe him when he tells me that he loves me and that he won't leave me," she says slowly. "I'm afraid though that I won't be enough for him. He's tried to convince me otherwise but I just can't see it."

"He _does_ love you, Lily, and I know you're scared but isn't it worth taking risks for love when the outcome is so great? Just look at me and Marlene." Indeed, they have never been happier and Lily recognizes this.

"Everyone keeps telling me that his feelings are just temporary," she whispers, and Sirius' eyes flash.

"Who?"

Lily bites her lip. "Severus and Marc." She is surprised when he does not make an angry retort but snorts instead.

"I would say that I hope you didn't take their opinions seriously but clearly you did and that would just open up the door for me making a bad pun. So instead I'm going to say: clearly their opinions still matter to you." Lily's eyes narrow at him.

"Neither one of their opinions mean anything to me anymore," Lily says harshly. "Marc showed his true colours and Severus…well, you lot enabled him to show his as well."

Sirius looks down abashed, not knowing which incident she is referring to because there are in fact numerous occasions.

"So what happens if I really _am_ in love with James?" Lily asks after a few moments of silence. Sirius looks up at her blankly.

"Erm – you live happily ever after?" he grins. Lily glares at him.

"Love isn't a Muggle fairytale, Sirius," she says. "No one lives happily ever after because love isn't easy like that. It's difficult, painful, and most of the time frustrating but love isn't meant to be easy, it's meant to be _worth_ it," she says, thinking back on what Jessica had told her Christmastime (**A/N: Thanks PottedLilies**).

"I know that," says Sirius quickly. "I still don't understand though how in Merlin's name you could hurt him."

Lily sighs again. "James has said on so many occasions that he loves me, right?" Sirius nods, feeling as though they are now working backwards. "Well, what if I break his heart and can't entirely return his feelings? Then what? I can't stand to be the girl that does it to him _again!"_

Sirius smiles at her. "Lily-bean, if you care _that_ much about James that you are worried about something like that then you clearly _do_ love him. I know this will probably sound out of character coming from me but why don't you try listening to your head and your heart together instead of one or the other for a change?"

Lily stares at him and nods slowly. She stands up then and walks back to where everyone is standing.

"I'll talk to you guys later, I'm exhausted," she says, picking up her bag with all of her textbooks and notes in them. She gives each of them a smile her smile lasting the longest on James. She then runs up the girls' dormitory stairs and James rounds on Sirius.

"What did you say to her?" he asks sharply. Sirius glares at him.

"The weather," he sneers. "It's none of your concern."

"Of course it is!" exclaims James. "She's my girlfriend and you must have said something to upset her and that is why she left."

"Last time I checked she _smiled_ at me so no, I don't think I said anything that upset her. I think someone's just upset that she hasn't jumped into your bed yet like every other girl."

Everything is still for a moment before James pounces on Sirius and begins attempting to punch him. Sirius is quick on the uptake, however, and blocks most of his attempts or sends them back.

"GUYS! GUYS!" shout Marlene, Margaret, and Alice. "STOP!"

Remus and Peter move out of the way as James and Sirius continually roll on the ground, punching the living daylights out of each other. Blood drops are trailing behind them, along with the friendship that has never been soiled before that day.

Lily comes down, looking irritated at the interruption, and gasps.

"_Protego Totalum!"_ she shouts. A strong shield erupts from her wand and forces both Sirius and James onto opposite ends of the room. Both jump abruptly to their feet and are glaring daggers at each other.

"What has gotten into you two?" demands Lily, glaring down both of them. "When I was down here five minutes ago there were two, un-bloodstained friends. Now…I don't know what you two are!"

"Well, we're definitely not friends," growls James.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," sneers Sirius. He turns to Lily. "Lily-bean, feel free to disregard anything I said to you about this son-of-a-bitch. You can push him off the Astronomy Tower for all I give a damn."

Glaring at James once more, he storms through the silent common room and out the portrait hole, leaving James breathing heavily.

"What did he say to you before?" asks James, falling back on his old habit of running his hand through his hair. Lily sighs for what feels like the millionth time.

"Not to hurt you," she whispers. James just stares at her and then kicks the chair angrily. He turns then to the other Marauders.

"How bad was it?" he asks wearily, as the common room resumes talking. Now it is in hushed whispers though about what just happened.

"Did you see that –?"

"They've never fought –"

"Did you see their faces -?"

"Odontophobia is the fear of teeth –"

"Pretty bad," replies Remus. "You look like a bloody mess."

"What has been going – Oh my goodness!" exclaims Professor McGonagall. The whole common room turns to face her, including James. "Mr. Potter, what in Merlin's name has happened to you?"

"A fight," says James gruffly.

"You and _another_ Slytherin?" she sighs exasperatedly.

Peter shakes his head. "Him and Sirius."

Professor McGonagall has always held herself up to the highest standard possible. She always has the best manners and the best etiquette but at that moment if her jaw was not hinged onto her head it may have dropped to the ground.

"You two were _fighting?"_ she says shocked.

"Don't act so surprised," grumbles James. He stalks over to the boys' dormitory stairs.

"Your face is still mangled!" shouts Remus.

"Screw it!" replies James from upstairs.

"Mr. Potter!"

"Yeah, yeah, twenty points for language and detention on Saturday," says James wearily. "Nice talking to you!"

Everyone in the common room just stares at each other and Remus and Lily exchange a glance. Lily has never seen James look so disgruntled. Sure, she had heard him when he was telling Marc off but she did not actually physically _see_ him.

She runs after him and all she knows is that whatever rift is going on between the Marauders; it is only going to get worse before it gets better.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily slowly walks up the boys' dormitory stairs, ignoring the surprised looks from the seventh year boys as she does so.

"Going to have some fun with Potter, Evans?" sneers Marc.

"Shut it, Davis," she retorts, and he falls silent. The other boys guffaw at his expression and she continues on her way.

She finally makes it to the sixth year dormitories and knocks on the door. She gets no response so she says, "I'm coming in!"

Lily opens the door and for a moment, she thinks no one is there until she sees James' trainers on the floor next to his bed. He is laying on the bed playing with a Golden Snitch.

"Where'd you get that?" she asks, genuinely curious.

James looks up and narrows his eyes at her.

"Why? Are you going to turn me in?"

His words hurt Lily more than he realizes but she wears her poker face well and masks it. She sits down on his rotating chair and watches him solemnly. It does not look like he is going to be doing any talking so she decides to start off for him.

"What happened after I left?" she says quietly, and she notices James tense up. It must have been a trick of the eye though because the next second he is still playing idly with the Snitch.

"It's complicated. What did you and Sirius talk about before?"

"It's complicated," she says drily. Both of them are reminded of the similar conversation they had months ago while roaming the corridors. Both also remember the reason they were wandering those corridors and it brings a dull flush to both of their cheeks.

"He was being a prat," he mutters.

"I already told you that he was telling me not to hurt you," says Lily. "That's really all we talk about." She decides to not include how she is still insecure about their relationship. "_What_ did he say to provoke you?"

James sighs and sits up straight on his bed and runs his hand haphazardly through his hair. Oddly enough, it is not as annoying as Lily remembers it being a little less than a year ago. It is almost endearing now.

"He told me the only reason I was upset was because you hadn't jumped into bed with me like every other girl," he snarls.

Oh…

OH!

Lily blushes a violent shade of maroon and averts her eyes quickly from James.

"Oh," is all she manages to say, and James groans.

"I should have never said –"

"No, no…am I really the only girl who hasn't jumped straight into bed with you?" she asks quietly, and James closes his eyes.

"Yes, but I don't care that you haven't Lily," he says gently. "I have _always_ wanted our relationship to be more than just 'hooking up'. Why do you think none of my previous relationships only lasted for several weeks? All I would go out with were brainless twits because…maybe because the only smart one knew well enough to stay away from me."

She looks at him with a mixture of sadness and incredulousness (**A/N: Sorry, I doubt that's a word**).

"I judged you too easily James. I only looked at your flaws and took me forever to finally look past them and note your good qualities. I just wish I hadn't been so pigheaded for the first six years here…" James smiles wryly and motions for her to sit down next to him. She does so and he takes her hand in his. She marvels how they fit each other so perfectly; hers being so petite and his own large and strong.

"I'm not blaming you for how you perceived me, Lils," he says sincerely, looking into her eyes so she knows he is not bluffing. "I was a royal arse for most of our years here and I don't even want to think about some of the things I said to you. I didn't grow up at all and honestly, I think our relationship, if you could call it that, only went from bad to worse and it was entirely my fault."

She opens her mouth to say something…anything to alleviate some of the blame that he is placing on himself. He holds up a hang though.

"Let me finish, I'm on a roll," he teases, and she smiles. "I love you so much Lily," she freezes, "and I'm so glad that you finally said yes to me. If I had to do it all over again I would go through the pain if I knew it would feel so good to be where we are right now. You've changed me for the better and I often wonder how I lived without you because every time I get around you lately I see the best of me inside your eyes. Just the _thought_ of you can drive me –" He is cut off before he can finish and smells the familiar aroma of vanilla shampoo. To his surprise, Lily engulfs him in what recently has become an oh-so familiar hug. He hugs her back and strokes her silky, smooth hair, attempting to permanently engrave this moment into his memory forever.

_Even when you're gone_

_Somehow you come along_

_Just like a flower poking through the sidewalk crack and just like that_

_You steal away the rain and just like that_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

With the exams looming ever nearer, the students, in desperate need of fresh air, decide to crack open the books outside. It is no longer windy, which means that the temperature feels its normal self and they no longer need sweaters. All enjoy the chance for some fresh air even if it comes at the price of studying. That is, all except for Lily.

Lily has been sleeping dreadfully or not at all for the past few weeks and the bags under her eyes are now becoming more defined. Sirius is even tactful enough to tell her that it looks like her bags are carrying trunks, only to be on the receiving end of her Bat Bogey Hex, which surprisingly has never failed yet was weaker than usual. She passes this off as being distracted, but James on the other hand thinks differently.

"Lils, you _need_ to sleep," he implores. "Your body needs to replenish itself and you pulling all-nighters so you can study more isn't going to help you."

Lily glares at him and James is shocked to see how pale she is. Her eyes, usually so full of life, are dull and full of anxiety.

"How would _you_ know? You barely study as it is!" she says waspishly. James purses his lips, knowing that she would not be saying this if she was not under stress.

"Lils, something is bothering you, I can sense it," says James, sitting down next to her on the common room couch. "What's wrong?" To his dismay, her eyes fill with tears.

"It's not the same," she whispers, her vision becoming impaired due to the flow of tears. "I'm not going to see them when we get off the train this time around."

James does not have to ask who 'they' are, for he already knows she is referring to her late parents. His heart goes out to her and although he knows she would hate it, he feels sorry for her.

"Don't worry," he says, wrapping his arm around her. "Remember what we said? Now that the war is kicking off, we're all going to stick together. We'll get a flat close to each other so we can always be in contact."

Lily looks up at him with teary eyes. "How will the four of you Marauders possibly live under the same roof? You've been ignoring each other like the plague with the exception of you, Remus, and Peter to each other."

James sighs. "We'll find a way to work it out, I promise you that much. I can't promise you that it will be fast or easy but it'll happen. I'll make sure of it." Lily smiles and feels reassured by his words. "But you have to do one thing for me, Lils, and that's get some sleep before you have a complete meltdown. Can you do that for me?" Lily nods.

"Can you get upstairs by yourself?" he asks uncertainly.

She gives him a look and nods again and walks up the stairs alone. James watches her go, wondering how he ever managed to get someone as wonderful as her, and then leans back on the couch, rubbing his fingers against his temples.

_Now how is he going to keep his promise?_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sirius roams the grounds, thinking to himself.

_His friends hate him and he had brought it upon himself…two people could have been killed…Marlene is still blaming herself…Summer…_

Summer is what he has been thinking about lately and what seems the most up in the air. Their plans for them getting two flats may prove problematic with the current situation. Together the four Marauders can all afford one that would accommodate each of them but alone, well that would prove more challenging.

At the end of last month, however, his Uncle Alphard had passed away, leaving him all of his possessions. Mind you, he did not have much in the way of possessions but he did have a fair amount of money.

He is debating on whether he should just get his own place with Marlene. It would be nice to be together over the summer vacation and not have to worry as much about where the other person is.

The only thing that is stopping him is that he is worried about Lily. She seems to be close to a breakdown lately and he knows she would not be happy if they were _all_ split up, especially since she is best friends with Marlene. She has also been the one to suggest that they all get a flat together and while they all have been anticipating it, she is probably the most. Sirius knows, like him, that she does not have a house to go back to and although he knows he is always welcome at the Potter Manor, it would be awkward now that him and James are not talking and he is also tired of feeling like a burden.

Sirius makes his way over to the lake and sits down by the edge, crossing his legs like a pretzel. He stares out at the lake, which has always been his favorite pastime when he is upset or confused. He likes to call it _his_ lake and considers it the only good thing his last name has brought to him.

He looks towards the Forbidden Forest, realizing for the first time how green the trees really are.

"A sickle for your thoughts?" asks a soft voice. Sirius does not need to turn around to know who is there.

"Is that all I'm worth? A sickle? Not even a galleon?" he smirks.

"Well I _did_ have to walk all the way out here to get to you," Marlene grins. She then turns serious. "What's up?" She sits down next to him.

Sirius stares back out at the forest. "Remember when everything was so simple? Back when all we had to worry about was homework and avoiding mistletoe during Christmas?"

Marlene snorts. "I'm pretty sure you were always the one trapping people under the mistletoe and jumping under it as well."

Sirius grins. "You're right, bad example…but you know what I mean."

Marlene nods slowly. "Yeah, I do I guess…But it's the same for us, right? We kind of held ourselves more than our parents did? The only difference was that I _did_ have two other people who loved me while you were alone."

Sirius nods and does not say anything. His childhood had been a living hell in so many ways but since he arrived at Hogwarts he has made up for it. He has great friends, fell in love, and gained more friends in the process.

"What are you thinking about now?" asks Marlene, staring at him.

Sirius turns to face her and smiles. "About how lucky I am to have found you." He leans in and kisses her, feeling the familiar fireworks as he does so.

She responds and feels the same fireworks as he does. She is so lucky to have found Sirius. After all those times when she could not stand him, she is glad that she finally opened her heart to him and stopped listening to _just_ her head. It is something she will never regret and although their unborn baby is gone, the memory of him or her is still with them.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Frank and Alice's relationship has only gotten stronger since their fight ended. They have a new respect for each other now and have truly seen what it is like when the other is angry, something they had seldom seen of each other but important to in any relationship.

They lay curled up on the common room couch, catching up on the latest news in the _Daily Prophet._

"Several attacks down in Muggle London," sighs Frank, rubbing his temples. "You don't suppose Voldemort would take a break next holiday, do you?"

Alice grimaces. "Please don't say that around Lily."

Frank makes a face. "Oh yeah." He continually flips through the other pages, ignoring the interviews and snippets from the latest Quidditch matches. "Oh, here's something. _'Aurors Speak Out About Latest Death Eaters Sent to Azkaban'_."

_**Aurors Speak Out About Latest Death Eaters Sent to Azkaban.**_

_**After the latest attack from the man who dubs himself Lord Voldemort, more commonly known as You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the Auror office speaks out about You-Know-Who's followers.**_

"_**They're called Death Eaters," said Alastor Moody, Head Auror. It is known that Moody is famous for putting more criminals in Azkaban than any other Auror.**_

"_**They pride themselves on following Voldemort and our job has been to capture them," he reported to the **_**Daily Prophet **_**reporter. Moody declined any more answers and told the reporters to 'Get the hell away' when they showed up at his house.**_

_**Albus Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic; Charlus Potter, have also declined questioning. For more about the old friends, go to page 17.**_

"Inconceivable," says Alice, shaking her head. "I don't know what's worse, the fact that they're harassing Moody, James' father, _and_ Professor Dumbledore or the fact that everyone is terrified of saying Voldemort's name."

"The latter, by far," says Frank irritably. "They're used to it by now, it comes with the territory. It's frustrating that even the _Daily Prophet_ though is afraid of him now as well. Is there _anyone_ who's _not_ afraid that his name is a curse?"

Alice shrugs. "Don't let it get to you. I'm sure people will come to their senses _eventually_."

Just then, Sirius and Marlene walk into the common room, hand-in-hand. They walk over to them and sit down.

"Hey there," greets Alice. She raises an eyebrow at their hands and they quickly withdrew them and blush. Both Alice and Frank laugh and their friends glare at them.

"I liked you both better when you weren't talking," Sirius jokes, sticking his tongue out. Frank rolls his eyes.

"Where have you two been anyway?" he asks curiously.

"Kissing by the lake," replies Sirius easily. Marlene turns a pale rose and Alice and Frank continue to laugh.

"Should have known."

"Yeah, you should have," says a separate voice.

They turn around to see James and Lily standing behind them.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" he asks tentatively. Lily breaks away from him and sits down next to Alice.

Sirius hesitates. Something tells him he should hear James out on whatever he has to say but something is holding him back.

"All right," agrees Sirius solemnly.

"Are you sure?" whispers Marlene.

Sirius nods and follows James up to their dormitory.

"You know, this could be misconstrued as an attempt to jump my bones," says Sirius dryly.

James' upper lip twitches. He misses Sirius' sense of humour. Although it has only been a few weeks since they last talked, it feels like it has been a year.

"Well don't worry, I'll keep my distance if it makes you more comfortable," says James smirking. "Anyway, we, as in both of us –"

"I know what 'we' means," interrupts Sirius.

James ignores him and continues as though he was not interrupted. "_We_ need to figure out a way to get over this. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but for the welfare of _everyone_ it would be best to forgive and _try_ to forget."

Sirius stares at him for a moment, as if calculating him.

"This is for Lily-bean, isn't it," he finally replies. It is a statement, not a question.

"This is for _everyone_," says James, evading what Sirius just said. "I'm not a complete prat, I can tell you're missing being on good terms as much as I am."

"You're not answering," points out Sirius.

"There is nothing to answer," says James coolly.

Sirius gives him a look but James just crosses his arms defiantly and sits down on his bed. Sirius, realizing that he can play the same game, copies his motion. James scowls at him and Sirius returns it.

"We can do this all night," says Sirius, raising an eyebrow. "Although I'm not so sure that's how you want to spend your Friday evening."

"We _could_," agrees James, stressing the last word. "However, I can just choose to get up and walk out."

Sirius silently Disarms James, catching him off guard and then locks the door from the outside in. James stares at him incredulously.

"Please tell me you didn't just do that," he says in a would-be-calm voice.

Sirius, remaining composed although he is mentally kicking himself, says; "Relax. Either way, we're not going to leave until you answer me and this is _three other people's dormitory._ One of the three is bound to come up eventually."

"They'd better because I really don't feel like spending my evening up in a stuffy room ignoring you," says James.

"It's your choice," says Sirius, leaning back on his pillow. "Personally it's better than a broom cupboard, trust me; been there, done that. Proceed when ready."

James groans. "It's going to be a long night."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So how's Miss Lily doing?" Sirius asks feebly. They have not spoken in over half an hour and the silence is slowly killing him.

James looks up from the Quidditch book he is reading and gives him a look.

"She's upset that her parents aren't going to be at Kings Cross this year and is terrified that the eight of us won't get our flats next to each other."

Sirius says nothing and just twirls his wand easily in his hand.

"So you admit that's why you want everyone to make up?"

James groans inwardly and gives Sirius an exasperated look.

"Alright Padfoot," he says, using his nickname for the first time in weeks, "that's the reason I called you here. It is because I want to relieve some of the pain the _girl I love_ is feeling. Happy?"

Sirius nods gleefully but then pauses.

"So when do you think the others will come up to use the loo?"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"32 bottles of firewhiskey on the wall, 32 bottles of firewhiskey," sings Sirius wearily. "Pass one down, take it around –"

"I'm pretty sure that's _not_ how the song goes," says James irritably. "You screwed up that last verse."

"Well I'm tired and bored of just sitting here," groans Sirius.

"It's your own damn fault for locking us in from _the other side!"_

"Shut up…Can I sing _another_ song then?"

"Whatever, knock yourself out," says James. _Literally_ he thinks, very annoyed.

"Prongs and Lily-bean, sitting in a tree, f-u-c –" begins Sirius in a singsong voice.

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK!" screams James at the top of his lungs. Sirius cowers in fear under his covers.

"Just speaking the near future."

James scowls at him. "This is exactly what got us even further estranged, Sirius. I have told you _a million of times_ that I am not going to jump Lily's bones and our relationship _is not_ going to based off of sex. She's not ready and to be honest, I don't think I truly am either."

Sirius takes the comment before the last as a personal jab. Sure, his and Marlene's relationship has been developing more but it started off based on a physical one. In the beginning they had hardly talked, mostly because they were keeping it a secret, and they were letting out all the sexual tension that lied between them.

James sighs and rolls onto his stomach. He notices the loose floorboard that he has not looked under for some time. He opens it and sees several objects, one being a single shoe. He had forgotten to give it to Lily that night in the Clock Tower…he _had_ been a tad distracted, to say the least.

"What's that?" asks Sirius, surveying the loose floorboard with interest.

James does not say anything. Besides the shoe there is also his _Marauders Moments_ scrapbook, some spare candy in case he gets stuck in situations like his current one, and a few extra quills.

He takes out the shoe and stares at it. He marvels how small Lily's foot is and observes the shoe up, down, and around.

"What _is_ that?" Sirius repeats.

"It's from that disaster of a Masquerade earlier in the year," replies James absentmindedly. "When the Death Eaters attacked and Lily first ran upstairs her shoe fell off. I must have just placed it down here and forgotten about it."

"Oh yeah," reminisces Sirius. "That was the dance when we ended up dancing with the girls…Thinking back it seems like some sappy story gone wrong," he smirks (**A/N: :D**).

James does not say anything in response and continues to stare at the shoe. Finally, he conjures a box and some wrapping paper. He places the shoe gently into the box and magicks the wrapping paper. He then looks up at the pensive Sirius.

"Why'd you do it?" he asks. Sirius does not need to ask to what James is referring to.

"I was angry," says Sirius sullenly. "I know it's no excuse but I was tired of that son-of-a-bitch continually hurting Lily and being involved in the reason Marlene had a miscarriage."

James stares at him, knowing he probably wants to get everything off his chest. He has not really given Sirius a chance to do so in the past few weeks.

"I couldn't stand _not_ doing anything anymore! It was angering me more and more and eventually…I snapped. I knew it would be a surefire way to scare the hell out of Snape and it could possibly stop him from hurting anyone else ever again."

_Yeah, well a bite in the neck would definitely put things into perspective_ thinks James bitterly.

"I went to the Slytherin common room and met him outside. I told him where to go but I didn't give him all the details until he got there and…well, you know what happens from then on."

James remains silent, contemplating Sirius' story. To some degree it makes sense but it also outlines Sirius' poor decision making when it comes to thinking of cause and effect.

"Did you ever tell this to Dumbledore?" asks James suddenly.

Sirius hesitates. "Sort of."

_-Flashback-_

"_Come in."_

_Sirius opens the door to the Headmaster's office. It is far from unfamiliar, seeing as he has been in trouble so many times before today. This, however, is the worst experience._

"_Hello Mr. Black," he says, indicating that he should sit down._

_Sirius does as instructed and notices that the lack of twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes reveals that he means business. "I hope you are feeling better."_

"_A little," admits Sirius. "How's Snape?"_

"_Severus is shaken though he tries to hide it, albeit that is to be expected. You truly acted out of poor judgment, Mr. Black."_

_Sirius hangs his head. "I know, sir." Figuring he might as well get this over with, he asks; "What will my punishment be?"_

"_You will write a letter to Mr. Snape and his parents, explaining the situation and apologizing. Also, you are suspended from the Quidditch team for the rest of the year."_

_Sirius bites his lip, knowing that Dumbledore is being lenient and his consequences could have been far more severe._

_The aging Headmaster seems to sense his unhappiness and smiles slightly._

"_Don't fret, Mr. Black. I'm sure Gryffindor will be able to pull through the ranks without you. I have faith that Mr. Potter, even if he does find a replacement, will not replace you on the team the following year."_

_-End Flashback-_

"Why didn't you tell him what you just told me?" asks James.

Sirius stares at him incredulously. "Dumbledore's a little intimidating in case you haven't noticed."

"I don't remember you writing to his parents or him either."

"Well we haven't exactly been on speaking terms of late, have we?"

"True," agrees James. "Why didn't you at least tell me you were ban from the team? I could have found a replacement sooner instead of _right before_ _the final game!"_

"I didn't feel like giving you another reason to hate me," Sirius replies darkly.

"I don't hate you."

"Well if you don't, Remus does."

"He doesn't hate you either. Just because someone's angry and frustrated at you, Pads doesn't mean they _hate_ you. You know, I think I heard somewhere that frustration is like a game of tug of war. It takes two people to pull at it to feel the tension."

"While that's good and well, we haven't talked in weeks," points out Sirius. "What if he never wants to talk to me again?" he whispers, voicing his worries.

"We haven't talk either, Pads, but here we are," says James.

Sirius lets out a bitter laugh. "Only because we're stuck in here." He pauses. "Then again, you could have always summoned your broom and flown us out of here."

James gapes at him. "Did you realize we could have done that this whole time?"

Sirius grins sheepishly. "I wanted to see if you would think of it first but it kind of just slipped out." James groans and pulls out his wand.

"_Accio Nimbus 1000_," he chants. He opens the window and a second later his broom comes soaring in. "You never cease to amaze me, Pads." He jumps on his broom and soars out the window.

"Wait! What about me?" cries Sirius, hanging from the window.

"Summon it yourself!"

"It's in lockup!"

"I'll come around and unlock the door," calls James. "Get back in the room, you're going to –" Right on cue, Sirius leans out the window and falls. James groans and goes into a dive, reaching out his arm just in time to grab Sirius' wrist.

He pulls the broom up so Sirius will not bring him down with him and lifts Sirius onto the back of the broom.

"I could have died, you know," points out Sirius.

"Yeah, and you still can if you don't watch yourself," jokes James. The tension seems to dissipate as they fly down to the ground.

"You can let go of me now before people think we're gay," grins James.

"Nothing wrong with being happy!"

"Stop being a smart arse just because your feet are firmly on the ground. I could have taken you out of this world easily by not diving after you."

"True but it wouldn't really be _your_ doing."

"You're right. That's why on your gravestone it'll read 'Crackhead for leaning out the window like a bloody eejit!'"

"Harsh."

"The truth."

"Can we go in now?" asks Sirius. James nods and the pair of them walk in, in silence.

"Wait, so does this mean we're still fighting or are we friends again?" asks Sirius.

James runs his hand through his hair. "I don't know. I'm not so mad at you anymore that I've heard your story but I still can't believe you'd do something so foolish."

"That makes the two of us."

James looks at him as they ascend the staircases leading to the common room and jumps over the invisible step, purely out of routine.

"We'll figure out a way to get everyone on good terms again," promises James. He seems to be making a lot of promises lately that he will have difficultly keeping. "And adding to what I was saying earlier, yes, it _is_ for Lily but she's not the only one who would benefit from everyone getting along again."

Sirius nods. He knows where James is coming from and agrees that it will be in everyone's best interest if there is no more fighting or silent treatment.

"Godric's Hollow," says James to the Fat Lady, once they reach her.

"So I see you two have finally made up," she says, smiling down at them.

"You can say that," says James, grinning back at her. "Now can you _please_ let us in?"

She has no choice but to oblige and swings open, admitting them to the 'oh, so familiar' common room. They see Frank, Lily, Alice, Remus, Margaret, Peter, and Marlene sitting by the fire.

They walk over and sit down on either side of Lily, who looks at them both surprised.

"Erm – what's going on?" asks Lily confused.

"Yeah, I thought you two were fighting," says Marlene.

"We were –" begins Sirius.

" – But now we're not," finishes James.

"We decided –"

" – It was counterproductive."

"And now they're finishing each other's sentences like a married couple," says Peter. "Brilliant."

James and Sirius smirk and Remus looks away.

"It's getting late, I'd better get to bed," he says absentmindedly.

"It's nine o'clock on a Friday night," points out Frank.

"Who are you? Father time?" snaps Remus. Lily grins and they all watch him ascend the guys' staircase.

"He isn't going to be too thrilled for a while that you two are friends again," says Margaret sadly.

"I didn't expect him to be," sighs Sirius. "I'll be back."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sirius enters the dormitory to see Remus staring out the window, lost in thought. He thinks he sees a tear leak out of his eye and is taken aback. Never in all his years of being friends has he seen Remus cry.

Sirius clears his throat and Remus jumps in surprise. He narrows his eyes once he sees who it is and quickly wipes his eyes.

"What do you want?" asks Remus coldly.

Sirius is also taken aback by his hostile tone, especially after just seeing him crying.

"Well it _is_ my room, also," points out Sirius.

Remus gives him a look. "However, I know you didn't come up here for anything, so _what_ do you want?"

"Come on Moony, I must have apologized a thousand and one times," pleads Sirius.

"Well try shooting for three thousand and then we'll talk," says Remus moodily.

"Are you ever going to forgive me?" Sirius asks sadly.

"I don't know," replies Remus honestly. "Owl me in about twenty years and I'll try and get back to you."

"Enough with the jokes! Merlin, is this how _I_ always am?"

"Yes."

"Well then," is all he says. He flops down on his bed and Remus glares out the window as though it has morally offended him. "Oh come on, that poor window has never done anything to you."

"Why don't you quit while you're ahead?" asks Remus. "I've already told you that I'm not going to forgive you any time soon."

"And there in lies the problem. You _need_ to forgive me because us four Marauders are all moving into a flat together whether you like it or not."

"Like hell we are!"

"We are, and you want to know why? Because this war is taking a lot of lives and one of us could be next. We've already nearly lost _two_ of our friends to the war in case you've forgotten."

Remus glares at him furiously. "That was a low blow. How _dare_ you suggest that I've forgotten that Margaret nearly died. I think about it every bloody day and I thank to God that she is still with us!"

"It doesn't seem like it."

"You son-of-a –"

"That's just it though! You're not even remorseful at all!" cries Sirius. "You need to…I don't know, gorge yourself with food…threaten to throw yourself off the Astronomy Tower…"

Remus stares at him incredulously.

"In case you've failed to notice over these past six years, I'm not a girl suffering from post breakup, nor am I some suicidal junkie."

Sirius cracks a smile. "I know that. Believe me I do, otherwise I would have reported you by now. You don't have to be such a hard-ass and not show that you're being affected by this too though."

Remus stares at him. How could _Sirius_, the most untactful person alive, possibly mark how he is feeling so easily?

"It's the Gryffindor in me, I guess," says Remus dryly.

"No, it's the part of you that would feel like you're being weak if you cry and that somehow you would be burdening us."

"Do you like crying? Do you like feeling like a burden?"

"Not particularly but who does? People who _are_ strong _can_ cry, though and who says I never feel like a burden? I live at the Potter Manor every holiday, for Merlin's sake.

"Tell me, who says people who are strong can cry?"

"Dumbledore."

Remus is silent. He has no argument against Sirius on that one. Professor Dumbledore always says that just because you cry it does not mean you are weak. On the contrary, he says it makes you stronger as a person since you truly understand what it means to love.

"…You don't need to be strong for us, Moony," repeats Sirius. "For Merlin's sake, _talk to someone!_ If not us, then Margaret or Lily-bean! It'll at least let us all know that you're feeling _something_."

Remus stares at him. "I'll take your – erm – _offer_ into consideration. In the mean time, _leave_."

Sirius, admitting defeat, leaves the room before he is completely thrown out. He is positive though that he hears a defeated sigh before he descends the staircase.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The man in black paces around the room, lost in thought. His thoughts revolve around one topic, and that one alone.

_Murder_.

How is it that Lily Evans, a less than significant _Mudblood_, has time and time again evaded him? _No one_ has ever outlasted Lord Voldemort for this long and he is not about to make it a habit. He knows that Severus, albeit a good servant, cannot be trusted as far as the Mudblood Evans goes. He has thought it over time and time again and amends that he will get someone else to do the job.

As far as he is concerned, Lily Evans' luck has just run out and his is about to begin.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	29. Ordinary People

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**A/N:** **WARNING:** This chapter is one of the reason's that this story is rated M.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 29 – Ordinary People

The exams are over now and it is the day before they are due to return home and begin summer vacation. The situation for buying their own flat is looking bleak now. Especially because they want to try and find one close to each other _and_ close to the Ministry. Right now with where the market is, it is not an ideal situation.

Lily is thinking all of this as she is finishing packing her trunk. As usual, her friends are procrastinating until the last minute.

Alice and Frank have gone out for a walk around the lake and to catch up and Marlene had muttered something about going to find Sirius. Remus and Margaret are off Merlin knows where and James is resting, having just gotten back from flying. This leaves Lily alone to her thoughts, most of which revolve around either the approaching summer or James.

They have been through so much this year and have been to hell and back together. Between him being in that brief coma and her parents dying, it has been a crazy roller coaster ride of emotions. Lily is almost glad that she will be getting away from the castle for a few months. Being inside these stonewalls that hold so much…it is like they are covered in blood. Stained by all of her past or current relationships and no matter how many times Filch may scrub them, they will not wash away.

She magicks her trunk shut, not weighing enough to sit on it in order to close it. She only leaves out the essentials, which she will pack tomorrow, and sits down on her bed. She stares blankly out the window, lost in thought.

_I know I misbehaved  
And you made your mistakes  
And we both still got room left to grow  
And though love sometimes hurts  
I still put you first  
And we'll make this thing work  
But I think we should take it slow_

_-Flashback-_

_"It's not like I'm going to tell anyone. I'd happily abuse my power as Prefect out of curiosity. Plus, you basically saved me so I owe you one."_

_"Should have known there was a catch. Like you said earlier though, it's none of your business."_

_"But you didn't drop it."_

_"Quit while you're ahead Evans, I'm not going to tell you."_

_-End Flashback-_

_-Flashback-_

_"Potter, you know we have to talk."_

_"Yeah, I know. But first off, how are you?"_

"…_Stupid question," she whispers. "But I'm coping. I just can't believe anyone could be so heartless and cruel."_

"_That's Bellatrix for you."_

"_You think it's her too?"_

"_Who else could do something so macabre and not give it a second thought?"_

"_Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."_

_"What do you want to talk about?"_

_"Well firstly I know we kissed at the Masquerade Ball."_

"_You – You do?"_

"_Give me some credit Potter, I'm not a dolt."_

"_I know that!"_

"_I was able to put the pieces together once you said that you like Muggle music and that you're a Pureblood. And there's also the fact that when we were in the Slytherin common room we kissed under your Invisibility Cloak. It's been bothering me for weeks…Where do we stand?"_

_"I have no idea. We have so much history…where does this put us?"_

_"I haven't a clue either. I think it'd be best if we just…forget anything happened."_

_"W-what?"_

_"We should pretend like nothing ever happened between us. I mean, it was just the spur of the moment, right?"_

_"R-right."_

_"Potter? You still with us?"_

_"Yeah. Yeah, I'm brilliant."_

_"What's your issue?"_

_"Oh, I have no issue whatsoever. No problem at all."_

_"Oh, what's that? I think you have a little sarcasm on your lips." (__**A/N: From iQuit iCarly**__)_

"_I just think it'll be a little difficult to pretend like something that hasn't happened when it so obviously has."_

_"And there it is! Tell me Potter, who is it so obvious to? No one knows except us!"_

_"Yeah, I know."_

_"You _want_ to tell people?"_

_"I just want people to know I finally got you to kiss me!"_

_"You finally _got_ me? So that's what I am to you? Some prize to put on display?"_

_"That's so not what I mean!"_

_"Then enlighten me, Potter! What do you mean?"_

_"All I'm trying to say is that maybe we're both not on the same page on what we want! Are you honestly saying that you felt nothing that night we kissed? Both nights?"_

_"Well that's too damn bad, isn't it? We're not telling anyone what happened and just move on."_

"_You never answered my question. Look me in the eyes and tell me that you felt nothing that night. Look at me, Lily! Look me in the eyes and tell me that you felt nothing that night."_

"_I can't."_

"_You – can't?"_

"_No, James. I felt everything that night and it scares me to pieces. I – I felt like we were the only people in the world in that moment."_

"_Then stop fighting it. Stop fighting what you're feeling and give me a chance. Why won't you give me a chance Lily?"_

"_Because if I do…if I do…"_

"_What?"_

"…_I may fall for you."_

"_Lily please…"_

"_Just go James."_

"_I'll go," he says, getting up. "But I'll never be gone."_

_-End Flashback-_

_We're just ordinary people  
We don't know which way to go  
Cuz we're ordinary people  
Maybe we should take it slow  
This time we'll take it slow  
This time we'll take it slow_

_-Flashback-_

_"Hey Lils."_

_"I should have figured you'd follow me out here. Is there any use in telling you not to call me Lils?"_

_"Nope. I ran into Snape on my way here and it got me thinking…we can't live our whole lives with petty school grudges, no matter how large or small they are. That being said…I think you should forgive him for what he said to you at the end of last year."_

_"As much as I agree with you that I should forgive Severus, why are you of all people telling me to? I mean, you and Severus have been fighting constantly since we all met on the Hogwarts Express for the first time and you were angry with me over the holiday for protecting him. You have made it perfectly clear over the years that you never approved of our friendship and let us know it in the worse ways. Why are you the one to jump on forgiving him after all he's done to harm us?"_

_"Do you not want to forgive him?"_

_"You're evading."_

_"No, simply disregarding the question since it's irrelevant at the moment. You are also disregarding my very important question."_

_"I do want to forgive him. I've wanted to forgive him ever since he uttered that last foul word. Even when I've been furious at him, I've found it difficult to hate him like you and the other Marauders do. He was the one who told me about magic and our world. He was the first person who I had a connection with and made me feel like I wasn't a…well, freak I guess is an appropriate term."_

_"You're not a freak Lily. Don't listen to what your sister thinks about you. In retrospect, she's the freak. She's just blinded by petty jealousy and she could be expected of no less – she's ordinary and you're special –"_

"_That's mean, James."_

"…_It does not give her the right, however, to demean you the way she has, especially at her wedding in front of all of your friends."_

_"When did you become so philosophical?"_

_"Maybe running into Snape and falling on my arse knocked some sense into me. I don't know why I've acted like such an arrogant arse all these years. If I had known this was all it'd take to be able to hold a conversation with you and not get a sore throat afterwards…well, I would have done it a hell of a lot sooner."_

_"I probably wouldn't have let you. It's only recently that I realized you weren't that…bad."_

_"It seems pretty rich coming from me but you do know that we need to talk about this, right?"_

_"Well, you know I like you now. I've liked you for a while now. It's only recently that I felt like…I don't know…like I could l-love you."_

_"…But I couldn't ever go out with you."_

_"What?"_

_"James, I've _intensely disliked_ you for the past _five and a half years! _How in the world could I be falling for you after all these years? It's too sudden and…ridiculous. No. No, it's best if I just ignore these feelings and –"_

_"And what? And what Lily? Just ignore me and everything we've shared over the past year! Excuse me while I sound selfish here but what about my feelings? You told me you may love me but you never stopped to consider how I feel and whether or not I'd like to give it a try!"_

_"I'm so sorry James but I just c-can't. No matter h-how I feel it doesn't matter. But for the sake of argument, let's say I ask you what your feelings on this are…"_

_"Lily –"_

"_If you truly love me then you'll know how I feel about you. You'll be able to feel it, Lily. If you haven't yet then I don't think you really feel what you claim you do."_

"_Flip it over."_

Lily,

Clearly if you are able to read this message, you return the feelings I have for you. Whether you decide to own up to them is your choice but they are there.

I love you, Lily. I love you more than anyone else in the world and I hope that you will finally give me a chance now that you feel the same.

James

"_Lily –"_

_-End Flashback-_

_Sometimes it's heaven sent  
Then we head back to hell again  
We kiss then we make up on the way_

_-Flashback-_

_"Lils, you need to sleep. Your body needs to replenish itself and you pulling all-nighters so you can study more isn't going to help you."_

_"How would you know? You barely study as it is!"_

_"Lils, something is bothering you, I can sense it. What's wrong?"_

_"It's not the same. I'm not going to see them when we get off the train this time around."_

_"Don't worry," he says, wrapping his arm around her. "Remember what we said? Now that the war is kicking off, we're all going to stick together. We'll get a flat close to each other so we can always be in contact."_

_"How will the four of you Marauders possibly live under the same roof? You've been ignoring each other like the plague with the exception of you, Remus, and Peter to each other."_

_"We'll find a way to work it out, I promise you that much. I can't promise you that it will be fast or easy but it'll happen. I'll make sure of it. But you have to do one thing for me, Lils, and that's get some sleep before you have a complete meltdown. Can you do that for me?"_

_"Can you get upstairs by yourself?"_

_-End Flashback-_

From the end of their fifth year to most recently, some things have clearly never changed between her and James. Although they have grown emotionally and physically, the eleven-year-olds arriving at Hogwarts for the first time are still there. They still have petty fights of little importance but mean everything in the world, they still get scared, and James' feelings for her have never waned, no matter how much she used to hope they would.

No, he still feels as strongly for her as he ever has, if not more, but only one thing has changed. She now can return the feelings that have always been a one-way street and that is what she fears most and is trying to work past. What if her feelings are not as deep as they seem? She cannot be the girl to break his heart _again_. She has already trampled on it so many times and if she does it in a way like this…well, she is not so sure he will be able to pick up the pieces this time.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

As usual, the Marauders (with the exception of Remus) are procrastinating until the last minute to begin packing. James sometimes thinks it is because they do not want to believe the year is over and this is an easy way to make it so. However, this year James, deciding that he has nothing better to do, actually begins packing the day _before_ they are due to leave and not the day _of_. He is looking through all of his drawers, nooks, and cranny's to make sure he has _everything_ that he wants/needs when he re-stumbles upon Lily's shoe wrapped in the box.

Deciding that he ought to give it to her before it collects any more dust, he waves his wand and directs it to go to Lily's room. It floats up and he leaps back onto his bed and perused through his _Marauder Moments_ scrapbook with only one person on his mind.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

It was one of those rare and odd occasions that Lily experiences. Most people say with sarcasm that something falls out of the sky and hits them in the head, although in this case it lands on Lily's lap.

She looks at the box warily and opens it with great caution, her wand trained on it as an extra precaution. She lifts the lid to reveal a note and her shoe from so many month's ago.

Confused, she opens the letter and it reads:

_Guess who?_

She cannot help but grin goofily. She had completely forgotten about her shoe and that she had lost it back in October. It seems so long ago that they had that disastrous ball. She makes a mental note to tease James later for keeping it all these months.

Subconsciously, she reaches up to give a little tug at the necklace and smiles, feeling slightly at ease because she can feel his presence within her.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Lily! Where's my squiggly hair brush?" cries Alice in despair. "I lent it to you last week and now I can't find it!"

"You didn't lend it to _me_ you lent it to Marlene since _I_ hate borrowing hairbrushes," says Lily exasperatedly. "Must we do this every year? Why can't you just pack the night _before_ we're due to leave?"

"Because that would go against all of our morals," grins Margaret. "And actually you're wrong, you said _I_ could borrow it the other day."

"Then where is it?"

"I lent it to Dorcas." She smiles at the girl with big glasses. The two of them have recently made up and are on better terms again. They all acknowledge also how nice it is to _not_ be in a hostile environment.

Alice turns to look at Dorcas accusingly.

"Marlene took it off my nightstand yesterday morning."

Alice rolls her eyes and turns to Marlene who has been silent throughout this whole "ideal".

"What's wrong, Marlene?" asks Lily uncertainly, sitting down next to her. Marlene does not reply, even when she winces. "Alice, I think I found your hairbrush." Alice grins and dodges the brush Lily hurtles at her.

Lily turns back to Marlene. "Are you okay, Marlene?"

Marlene jumps this time, as if surprised to find she is in a room with three other people.

"Oh, it's just Sirius," she sighs. "He's been a little…_off_ lately since Remus is still refusing to forgive him."

"It helps that James has forgiven him though, right?" says Alice.

"See, I thought that would be the case also but it hasn't seemed to change much," says Marlene, lying down on her pillow. "Sirius seems dead set on repairing his and Remus' friendship and Remus seems anything _but_ willing to do so."

"He's just still hurting and has a lot on his mind," says Margaret quietly, and the girls turn to look at her sympathetically. They all know she feels guilty because Remus keeps having nightmares about what _could_ have happened that night in the Potter Manor.

Suddenly the door opens and in the doorframe stands Miranda, her red fingernails shining in the light.

"What do you want _this time_, Harris?" asks Dorcas, before any of the others can. They look at her in surprise, never having heard so much venom in her voice when talking to someone with the exception of when _they_ had been fighting.

"Careful Meadow's," smirks Miranda. "You wouldn't want me to tell your newly recovered friends that you were –"

"_GET OUT!"_ shouts Dorcas furiously. Her hands are balled into fists and are shaking by her side.

"Gladly," says Miranda sweetly, obviously happy that she has touched a nerve. She walks out, taking care to slam the door behind her.

"What was that about?" asks James from the doorway. The girls watch in surprise as him and the other Marauders come walking in.

"How'd you get in here?" asks Lily as he plants himself of her bed. She squeals as he grabs her around the waist and pulls her down next to him. "James, stop tickling me!" she gasps.

"Never!"

The others laugh at the amusing couple and the other two Marauders sit down on their respected girlfriend's bed. Peter sits in the rotating chair and Remus looks nervously at Dorcas who shrugs and busies herself with packing her trunk.

"So what did she want?" repeats James, allowing Lily to breathe.

"She was harassing Dorcas," replies Margaret before Lily can. "It's weird though, she hasn't been around much of late and I heard Kristina saying that she is hard to get in contact with."

"Oh, really? I thought one just threw a pentagram on the floor and chanted 'I summon thee' three times," snorts Sirius. The entire dormitory bursts out laughing at the image. They continue laughing until there are tears in their eyes and their sides ache.

"That was pretty good Padfoot," snorts Remus, and everyone looks at him in surprise. He does not say anything though so Lily intervenes.

"What was she about to say before you interrupted her?" asks Lily. "Have you been talking with Miranda?"

Dorcas shifts awkwardly. "Technically."

"Technically?" asks Margaret.

"I didn't realize it was her, per sé."

"What did you say to her?" asks Marlene apprehensively.

"I can't say," says Dorcas quietly.

"Why not?" asks Lily.

"You won't like it."

"I don't like half the stuff I've been hearing lately. I'm sure this can't be _too_ bad."

"Oh, you'd be surprised."

"Just tell us," says Sirius impatiently.

Dorcas sighs and walks over to her nightstand slowly. She opens the drawer and grabs a familiar pamphlet. She takes a deep breath and walks back to where everyone is now standing and hands it to Lily.

Lily, recognizing the cover, gasps and opens it, flipping through it. The others gather around her and their eyes widen in shock and surprise.

"_You_ helped Miranda with this?" asks James incredulously. "_Why?"_

"Because I was upset," says Dorcas miserably. "I was the one that said I didn't want to do it anymore after Margaret…you know, nearly _died_. I didn't feel it was right or worth it anymore."

Lily nods slowly. Alice then turns again to Dorcas.

"Wait, so was it _Frank_ who figured it out that it was Miranda?" she asks.

Dorcas nods and Alice says, "I'll be back in a little bit."

"You're not done packing yet though!" cries Lily.

"Finish for me!" Alice calls over her shoulder. Lily rolls her eyes and turns to James.

"We do _this_ every year also."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Prongs, I can't believe you broke the tradition," moans Sirius once the Marauders are back in their dormitory a few minutes later. "You're a jerk."

"Okay Padfoot, _just_ because I didn't feel like leaving anything behind for a change and running the risk of one of _you lot_ getting it doesn't mean I'm a horrible person."

"Actually I think it does," says Sirius, throwing his clothes haphazardly into his bag. "Damn Lily-bean for organizing our whole room and making it impossible to find anything."

"Padfoot, she did that several _months_ ago," points out Peter.

"And it hasn't been the same since!"

Remus looks at Sirius' messy trunk distastefully and says, "I'm going to go out by the lake for a little while. I'll see you guys on the train."

"Don't you want breakfast?" asks Peter.

"No, I'm not hungry. I'll eat off the trolley later."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice walks down the stairs and sees Frank lounging in a chair, his back to her. She tiptoes over to him and wraps her arms around him. She can feel him tense up and whispers in his ear, "Don't worry, it's only me."

Frank relaxes and grins, though she cannot see it.

"Good. I thought Sirius was making a move on me again and that I'd have to explain it to Marlene," he jokes.

Alice laughs and sits down on his armrest.

"Thank you," she says sincerely.

"For what?" asks Frank puzzled. "Not that I don't enjoy receiving thanks, but –"

"For realizing it was Miranda behind all this blackmail," whispers Alice, cutting him off. Frank looks at her surprised. That had been the last thing he had been thinking of.

Alice leans in and gives him a short, yet sweet kiss. Frank feels like his stomach has flipped and it is over as quickly as it had begun.

"I'd better finish packing before Lily comes down here and murders me," says Alice, flashing a grin at Frank. "I'll see you on the train."

Frank nods and watches her go, left alone with his thoughts.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Remus lies on the bank of the Black lake (the lake Sirius always swears belonged to him), his eyes wide open. He is so tired and he feels like he is fighting a battle that is just between him and his eyelids. He will not allow himself to go to sleep though. He has been having the same dream about Margaret and he does not want to chance reliving it again. It has become so recurring and Remus does not know how much more of it he can handle.

_-Dream-_

_"I like you Remus, I – l-like you a lot," whispers Margaret._

_It is like the day she first admitted to liking him except this time she is standing over him wearing all white._

"_Why didn't you tell me before?" he asks. His voice sounds distant, almost hollow._

"_I was afraid."_

"_Afraid of what? I love you, Margaret!" She leans closer, indicating that she cannot hear him. "Margaret! I LOVE you!"_

_She begins sliding further and further away from him into the light._

"_NO!" screams Remus. He tries chasing after her but he is glued to the spot. "NO! MARGARET! I LOVE YOU! DON'T – NO!"_

_There is a flash of green light that does not miss…_

_-End Dream-_

"Come on Remus, it's time to go," Margaret says quietly. She is crouched next to him and knows what he is thinking about by the haunted look in his eyes.

Remus gets up and gently takes her hand, as though he is afraid she might shatter. As they walk up to the school slowly, he wipes his eyes his eyes on his sleeve.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The ride back on the Hogwarts Express is quiet and uneventful. James and Sirius are conferring in hushed whispers, as are Lily and Alice. Marlene, Peter, and Frank are playing Exploding Snap, so naturally there is a loud bang every other minute, causing some to jump in surprise. Then there are Remus and Margaret, the former who is left staring out the window at the passing fields and at the cows grazing and the latter, holding his hand and doing the tracing circles on it.

"Are you okay, Remus?" asks Lily suddenly.

Remus looks up at her surprised and then pastes a smile on his face that does not reach his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replies. "I just find it hard to believe that next year will be our last year."

"Don't remind me," groans James, looking up from his conversation with Sirius. "We have _got_ to pull loads of pranks so that no one will forget us."

"Oh trust me, I'm sure no one has forgotten of when you turned my hair black with red steaks and purple, blue, and green highlights," grins Lily.

"I had forgotten about that!" laughs Sirius. "Back in our first year when we were so young and innocent."

Marlene scoffs. "_You_ were never innocent."

"True, but I was _more_ innocent."

"I don't know, I thought you looked adorable with all those colours. You looked like a firework," James whispers in Lily's ear. She blushes and rests her head comfortably on his shoulder and he snakes his arm around her waist contently.

Remus shrugs. Things are going to change and they are already starting to feel the impact.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

When the train comes to a stop, Lily is the only one who does not jump up automatically.

"I'll be out in a minute," Lily reassures her friends.

They look hesitant about leaving her alone but the determined look on Lily's face convinces them she is okay. James, however, is not so easily convinced. He motions the other guys to go on without him and he stares at Lily.

"I just want to be alone," she says. He knows she is lying though. Unlike when she lies to her friends, she is unable to stare at him determinedly and evades his eyes. When she _really_ wants to be alone, she stares at him determinedly without a problem.

"No you don't, I know you too well, Lils," he says softly. He sits down next to her. "What's up?"

Lily sighs, running her fingers through her hair and biting her lip. James smiles, recognizing the unbreakable habits that he has grown to know and love. He notes happily that he passed on the former habit to her.

"Getting off this train will admit the inevitable," she whispers. "My parents are gone and they won't be out there, waiting for me with open arms."

James looks at her sadly. He hates seeing her in this much pain and knows only something like this could break down the walls that she so carefully constructed over the years. She usually keeps her negative emotions from the world, never being careless enough to wear her heart on her sleeve.

She also seldom cries unless it is for something serious. On some occasions he had made her cry but that only reinforced that the fact that he can make her cry means that she cares deeply about him. Nonetheless, he never wants to be the reason for her shedding tears.

He wipes her tears and slides his hand down so it cups her left cheek. He admires how although her vision is blurred, her emerald orbs are still as mystifying as ever.

"Don't cry, Lils," he begs. "I hate seeing you upset like this."

"I c-can't help it. I haven't heard from P-Petunia for forever and I don't think she's ever going to talk to me _again_." She begins weeping uncontrollably and he holds her tightly.

"Well that's her loss. It's _not_ your fault that your parents were murdered and no one –"

"But it _is_ my fault, James!" cries Lily. "If I hadn't become a Witch –"

"You don't _become_ a Witch and don't you say that!" says James heatedly. "Lily, you're the most talented Witch I've ever had the fortune to meet and the Wizarding World is where you belong. My world. Your world. _Our world."_

Lily smiles weakly at him. "Thank you, James," she said sincerely. "But don't go making excuses for me. If I had warned my parents more about the dangers in our world then maybe –"

"No one can hide from Voldemort when he personally seeks them out. I hate to say it, but he would have found them in the end. Lily, I saw it with my own eyes last summer; your parents are extremely proud of you and I'd bet you my life that they don't blame you for what happened to them."

"How could you possibly know that?" she asks.

"Because you, like your parents, aren't like that and call me crazy, but I could tell that from the few times we met. The way they stood in Kings Cross – they were mystified by it all!"

"They wouldn't have been like that if they knew the dangers that had live beyond the barrier," says Lily stubbornly.

"Why are you so determined to blame yourself for something that _isn't_ your fault?" James asks. "I've never met anyone so hardheaded –"

"Besides yourself," intervenes Lily.

James brushes it off. "That aside, it's _not_ your fault Lils and I don't want you blaming yourself for something that's –"

They feel a jerk and their eyes widen.

"How long have we been on here for?" asks Lily anxiously.

"Too long, we've got to get off and fast!" They run down the corridor, levitating their stuff behind them.

"We don't have time for this," says James exasperatedly. He waves his wand and the trunks and owl cages disappear. "I sent them to my house. We can all stay there until we find a place."

Lily nods and they run to where everyone normally walks off the train. James jumps off but Lily gasps when she looks down. They are picking up speed and although it is not a high jump, she is still dreadfully afraid of heights.

"LILY! JUMP!" shouts James. "I'll catch you!"

Lily sighs and closing her eyes she jumps and just in time because the train turns the corner, heading back to Hogwarts where it will be for two months.

She can feel her hair whip out behind her as she falls and lands gently on her feet, mainly because a pair of strong hands catch her right before she hits the ground.

They both look at each other and both of them feel their breath hitch in their own throat as green meets hazel.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Later that night as Lily is unpacking, she thinks about earlier that day. James had truly been wonderful to her, once again showing how deeply he cares for her.

There is a knock on her door.

"Lily, are you awake?" comes a tired voice. Lily nods and then realizes that James cannot actually see her.

"Yes, come in," she replies, sitting down on her bed.

The door opens and in walks James Potter, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist, his usual messy hair matted down and wet.

Lily's eyes widen and she takes in his toned appearance and then stared at the towel wrapped around his waist. Then she realizes _where_ she is staring and after realizing that it can and _will_ be misconstrued, she blushes and looks up.

Seeing her blush, a smirk plays on his lips as he takes her in as well. She is wearing a tank top, a very thin one, one might add, and an old pair of pale green shorts that are far too short.

He grins and looks up to see her glaring at him.

"Are you quite done?" she asks.

James smirks. "I don't know. All I can think of is how you looked a little _too far_ Sou –"

"Don't say it!"

He grins again. "Fine. I only came in here because mum wanted to know when we were leaving to go flat hunting tomorrow. Apparently I should have gotten dressed first."

Lily's eyes narrow. "Are you implying something, Mr. Potter?"

"Not at all, Miss Evans. Why should I feel the need to insinuate what's right in front of us? As a matter of fact, since you seemed to enthralled, I could always remove –"

"ENOUGH!" cries Lily, jumping up. She walks over to him and pokes him hard in the chest, although it is not a very impressive move since she is a petite five-foot girl and he is over six foot. "Let's get one thing straight…just because you caught me off guard _does not_ mean I want you stripping in _my room_."

"Technically, it's my parents room," says James cheekily.

"Don't get cheeky with me," warns Lily. "It's been a long day and there's no telling what I'll do!"

"Is that a threat or a pro –" begins James.

The door suddenly opens and there stands Sirius, also with a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair wet. How many more half-naked boys are going to come into her room?

"Hey Lily-bean – whoa," he grins. "What's going on in here?"

Both Lily and James flush scarlet.

"Nothing, nothing at all!" says Lily hurriedly. "What are you -?"

"Guys, what's the hold up?" asks Remus, and Lily groans. He is also wearing similar attire to the other two except his hair is dry. He looks at the other Marauders. "Oh, well this is questionable."

"You don't say?" says Lily dryly. "'Dear Diary, today three half-naked boys decided to quote-unquote 'grant me with their presence'…"

Sirius smirks. "Come on, Lily-bean you know you've been dreaming of this day. I mean, we're the best looking blokes in miles and let's face it, we look incredibly fuckable –"

"SIRIUS!" cry the other three. He smirks again and Remus shakes his head.

"We'll be going now," Remus says, dragging Sirius out by the year. He gives James a look before he closes the door. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do James." James gives him a look and then Remus snorts. "Actually, never mind…be smart."

He closes the door, leaving them in an awkward silence. That is when Lily notices how close they are standing to each other.

"Sooo, what time are we leaving again?" asks James uncomfortably.

"Erm – noon, I guess," replies Lily, looking anywhere but at James. James sighs.

"I never did get to finish what I was saying earlier."

"Don't worry, message received."

"I hope so," says James, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down at her. "Because Lils, it's _not your fault_ about what happened. Your parents death was tragic but you shouldn't have to carry it for the rest of your life."

Before she can protest or yell at him, he leans down and brings his lips to hers. She responds, kissing him more passionately then she has ever kissed him before. She kisses him like there is no one else in the world and as if today is his or her last day.

Both Lily and James can feel him harden under his towel, which they both now realize is very thin.

The door opens again and there is a squeal.

"JESSICA!" roars James, breaking apart from Lily.

She grins. "I knew this day would come. I didn't think I'd have to walk on you half naked though…"

"You _didn't_ have to! What are you even doing here?"

"Mum told me to find you because she needs to know times for tomorrow and I couldn't find you anywhere else so I decided this was the most logical –"

"Excuse me?" says Lily indignantly. "You think I invited him here? He invited himself in!"

"I don't see you objecting and you don't have much of a case seeing as you're wearing the thinnest tank top I've ever seen and shorts that could belong to a five-year-old," grins Jessica.

Lily flushes and flops down on her bed. James glares daggers at Jessica.

"Ever hear of knocking?" he growls.

"It's _my_ house too!"

"But it's _Lily's_ room!"

"Technically it's mum and dad's room."

"Wow, you guys are scary alike," laughs Lily.

"We are not!" Jessica and James cry in unison. They turn to each other and glare. "Stop that!" This only makes Lily laugh harder and succeeds in making the siblings even more annoyed.

"Get out," orders James.

"Why? So you can go back to _snogging_?" sings Jessica.

"If you don't I'll _force_ you out."

Jessica's eyebrows shoot up. "You're going to _manhandle_ me?"

"Of course not! What do you take me for?" cries James indignantly. Lily cannot help but smile at that. "Who needs to risk harassment charges when you can just use a wand? Plus, I'm _allowed_ to use magic and _you're_ not. See how that works?"

Jessica only smirks. "You're wearing a _towel_, a very thin one, I might add, but I'm sure _both of you_ know that – _Lily blushes_ -…how could you possibly have –" She gapes as James reaches into his towel and pulls out his wand. Lily stares at him with mingled amusement and disgust.

"Do I _want_ to know where on earth your wand has been?" she asks hesitantly. James grins at her.

"Well, you see –"

"No, I really don't!" cries Lily, clapping her hands over her ears. That makes James grin wider until he remembers his sister is still in the room. He turns around to face her, twirling his wand threatening and she surrenders, raising her hands above her head.

"Fine, fine, but mum still wants to know times," she says surrendering. She walks out of the room, closing the door behind her. James turns back to Lily.

"Sorry about that," he says irritably. "I've told our parents if not once, a thousand times that she should be kept locked up, but –"

Lily looks at him with the same look that Jessica has given him when she thought he would physically force her out.

"You really are a model big brother," she mocks teasingly.

"You know it," grins James.

Lily's expression then changes to a look that Jessica would _never_ give her brother. It turns to a look of lust and her eyes are sparkling. James looks at her nervously but she beckons him over. He walks over hesitantly and she brings her lips crashing to his.

He responds immediately, his hand flying to her hair and he gets on the bed also, now on top of her. She arches her back and feels him harden again. Her upper lip twitches and deciding to torture him a little, she begins fingering with the top of his towel, causing him to moan in pleasure. He loves the feeling of her fingers on his skin but wants it to be on his lower region. He wants her to just rip the towel off so badly.

As though she can read his mind, she yanks the towel off of him and is now seeing him completely naked for the first time. She gapes at his penis. It is huge!

"Like what you see?" James says seductively as he nibbles on her ear. Lily blushes but smirks all the same.

"I'm just wondering how something so large will fit into me."

James' eyes widen with realization and he looks at her uneasily.

"Are you sure -?"

"Absolutely," she says. "I would never suggest it if I wasn't."

"Right…erm this is definitely going to be a mood killer but I erm just thought I should say that I'm HIV negative." He is referring to the disease that they have recently been hearing about in the news.

Lily's eyes widen and James takes it the wrong way.

"I'm sorry, that was stu –"

"That was absolutely _not_ stupid James, it's incredibly sweet and considerate of you. It shows that you _care_ and just so you know, I am also." She smiles and kisses him, his lips smile back in return.

"I'll be gentle, I promise." She smiles again as he summons a condom from his room and puts it on himself. "We don't want to be like the others, right?"

"Right." He silences the room and locks it.

They continue kissing passionately, his member throbbing and she slowly lifts her tank top off of her torso, allowing her succulent breasts to spill out. He marvels at them and begins sucking the right one. She moans with pleasure as he nibbles at her nipple.

"James," she moans happily. "OH, JAMES!" she cries as he bites down hard.

He grins, removing her shorts and her panties. He has been waiting for this moment all of his teenage life.

_Cuz we're ordinary people  
Maybe we should take it slow  
This time we'll take it slow  
This time we'll take it slow_

"You ready?" he asks nervously.

"Absolutely."

He thrusts in and she screams in pain, this being her first time.

"Are you okay?" he whispers anxiously.

She nods, tears rolling down her cheeks from the initial pain of him entering her. She bites down on her lip.

"Do it again."

He continues pulling in and out, loving the sound of her screaming his name. It is the most beautiful sound he has ever heard and is better than he could have ever imagined.

"James," she moans. "OH, JAMES! HARDER! FASTER!" she pleads as drops of sweat go down her face.

He obliges again and thrusts in harder _and_ faster. She is bleeding now since it is her first time and he looks at her nervously but she is showing no sign of letting up.

He flips their positions, now under her and she looks like a goddess to him. He has never seen anyone so beautiful, yet so wild. He continues to put all that he has into her.

He then pulls out of her and she shocks him by taking his penis in her mouth. He never expected _her_ of all people to do _that_.

"LILY," he moans with pleasure. To his embarrassment, he climaxes immediately and although it tastes God awful to her, she swallows it.

She then begins to leave trails of kisses down it, taking care to _lick_ the head of his member. He yells out so loud that people in Antarctica could probably hear him.

"LILY! OH, DEAR MERLIN, LILY!" She grins and nibbles on it, getting the desired reaction out of him. He climaxes again. She finally lets go and to his shock, his penis feels cold now that her lips are no longer on it. What she does next shocks him more though than her giving him oral.

She actually takes his penis again and begins pulling on it and squeezing it, enjoying his facial expressions immensely. He never knew how great it felt to be a man until now and for someone who is doing this for the first time, Lily seems like an expert.

"SQUEEZE IT HARDER! HARDER LILY, SQUEEZE IT, TUG IT HARDER!" She grins and continues to kiss him and do as he says. She wishes she could be with him forever in this position.

She lets go of his member and after taking it once more in her mouth, allows him to take a breather. He has been screaming so loudly that his voice is now hoarse. He enters her again, deeper than before and they climax at the same time.

This goes on for some time longer, the both of them getting higher and higher as they progress until they collapse, exhausted.

It is some time later now and both of them are still entwined, but now under Lily's covers. James has his arms wrapped around her protectively and she is snuggling into his perfectly structured masculine frame.

"I never thought I could love you anymore than before Lily but you proved me wrong," he whispers, kissing her on the head.

She smiles into him and moves closer.

"I love you too James," she whispers, and he grins wildly. He has never been so happy in his life like he is in this moment.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Morning comes, its rosy-finger tipped dawn gently caressing the horizon, waking Lily in her baby blue bed. She can feel the sunlight boring through her eyelids but cannot convince herself to get up. As tempting as it is to just lay there under the warm, comforting sheets, Lily knows today they are going to go out searching for a flat.

She opens her eyes reluctantly and when she looks around the memories of the previous night come back to her.

Bloody hell.

She feels the familiar euphoria when she remembers what her and James did last night.

She looks over to the sleeping man in question and smiles when she realizes he is still sleeping. His arms are still wrapped protectively around her and he has a smile playing on his lips. If Lily did not know any better she would say he is dreaming what they did.

She tries to shift to put some clothes on but his arms wrap around her tighter. She nearly laughs out loud at this and fixes him with her infamous stare. Almost immediately, his eyes open up and she feels her heart flip when seeing their familiar hazel depths.

"Hullo beautiful," he whispers, moving a strand of hair out of her eyes.

Lily smiles. If anyone had greeted her in such a way it would have been disturbing but when James says it, she loves it.

"Good morning to you too. I have to say, this is my favourite way of waking up."

"Well then we'll have to make it tradition," he teases, and she laughs.

"Thank you, James, for being so gentle, especially considering it was…my first."

James smiles back at her wider. "I'm honoured that I was your first Lily. Honestly, I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Same here." He kisses her one last time, this time sweetly and more gentle than when they were making love. Without warning –

"JAMES CHARLUS POTTER, GET OUT OF LILY'S BEDROOM AND GET BLOODY DRESSED!" shrieks Dorea. It is astounding how while they are on the fourth floor, she can shriek and be heard from the first floor kitchen.

James winces, his mother's high-pitched voice ringing in his ears.

"I'm going to kill Jessica," he mutters. Lily laughs and runs her hands through his hair, calming him down considerably.

He then gets up and wraps his towel around his waist again and then looks at Lily's bed. She is still laying there looking like a goddess to him. He feels himself become erect again and blushes when she notices too and rolls her eyes.

"Erm – you might want to clean that up," he points to the bed. She looks down and grimaces when she realizes what she is laying in.

"Yeah, I'll get on that. _Then_ I'll go take a nice, hot shower." She winks at him and he feels his heart race.

"Can I join you?" She bursts out laughing.

"Maybe next time. Go on James, I have to take it before it gets any later!"

He smiles and winks at her one more time before leaving the room in a daze.

He made love last night to Lily Evans and slept with her.

Lily chuckles to herself again and gets up, running her hand through her hair. She scourgifies the bed and hops in the shower. She smiles to herself as the hot water runs down her back and seeps into her skin.

She just slept with James Potter and it felt great.

Both now realize why it is called "making love" but to the individual, it is based off of the person they just did it with.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily is greeted by a very tense silence in the kitchen, which surprises her. Apparently there had been some yelling from James and Jessica: James angry with her for tattling and Jessica defending herself. Then Dorea got involved and admonished James for yelling at his sister, which only escalated to James getting angry with his mother. Somehow, Charlus had managed to sneak out the backdoor to go to the Ministry undetected and uninvolved, much to Dorea's annoyance.

"Lily dear, I hope James hasn't been bothering you," apologizes Dorea, but Lily can see a twinkle in her eyes.

_She knows_ Lily thinks horrified. Dorea does not look mad though but stern and Lily gets the message and lets the older woman know.

"Erm – no, it's all right Mrs. – Dorea," corrects Lily.

"Yes, Jessica told me that she walked in last night on you two –" continues Dorea.

"MUM!" roars James. Sirius almost chokes on his bacon and Peter slaps him on the back.

Dorea ignores her son. "Anyway, my son doesn't seem to realize his poor decision making and the fact that people often get into trouble in bedrooms…"

Lily turns a bright shade of red and James bangs his head against the table. Meanwhile, Sirius spits out the juice that he had taken a sip of to clear his airway blockage all over Remus. Remus grimaces and then wipes his face with a napkin, ignoring Sirius' hysterically laughing apology.

"Nothing I'm not used to," murmurs Remus and there is a ghost of a smile dancing on his lips. Sirius grins and Marlene shakes her head in amusement.

"So, are you two an item now?" Dorea asks, turning to her next victims.

Sirius raises an eyebrow and Marlene flushes.

"Erm – yes," says Marlene sheepishly.

"Oh, well I knew that underneath all those years of anger there had to be another form of passion. Mostly angst though," adds Dorea serenely.

This only makes Marlene flush further and Sirius' eyebrows disappear behind his hairline.

"No offense Dorea but I thought you had finished with this whole windmill of psychiatry," smiles Remus. Margaret laughs and takes his hand under the table.

"Yes, but I do enjoy analyzing you all," smiles Dorea. "You're like that Muggle play…what's it called…oh, yes, _A Midsummer Night's Dream_. You're all, 'I love you', 'I hate you', 'I love you', 'I hate you'."

James glowers at his plate and Lily notices how he seems irascible. It is something new that she has not seen on him often and is sure that his friends not being on great terms is taking a toll on him.

He seems particularly annoyed though at his mother for embarrassing him. Lily cannot help but smile at his sullenness though.

James catches her staring at him with a grin on her face and grins in response straightaway. Somehow, her smile always manages to brighten his days. He winks at her and she blushes, knowing what he is thinking of and jumps as his foot makes its way up her leg. The two receive a questioning look from Alice.

"So, you haven't talked much since you've gotten here, Remus," says Dorea, breaking the silence. "You're usually louder."

"Really?" says Alice surprised. "Remus always seemed more like a…a…"

"Man of action," grins Margaret. Everyone laughs except for Remus who just smiles politely.

"I've just had a lot on my mind lately," says Remus quietly.

Everyone turns to stare at him in mild surprise. Lily has not heard Remus speak much about what is on his mind lately. Not even to make a crack about how the other Marauders are eejits and _that_ is unusual. He has become different ever since Margaret was nearly killed…more conservative. Also, the not talking to Sirius seems to be taking a lot of energy out of him.

Lily is at a loss to why he does not just forgive Sirius but then she remembers that he has good reason to be furious. After all, both her and Severus could have been killed that night and Remus would have never forgiven himself _or_ Sirius, but himself mainly. Lily wonders whether Dorea knows the reason that they have not been talking to each other.

"You and Sirius also have not talked as much as usual," adds Dorea. "Why's that?"

Well, that answers that.

James drops his fork and the room is so silent that it sounds like a bull has just entered a china shop.

"We should get looking for a place before it gets any later," he suggests, practically telling them to get up now or he will make them. "As in, get your lazy arses off your chair and _move_."

Lily cannot help but giggle at the last part and quickly finishes her breakfast. Dorea, on the other hand, looks at them confused as they leave the dining hall but then just returns to cleaning and talking to Jessica.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Lily, James, can I talk to you for a moment?" asks Dorea before they depart.

The two exchange a look and know what this is about immediately. Lily prepares herself for the most uncomfortable conversation of her life.

They both nod in unison and follow her into a separate room from the others.

"Mum, do we really have to do this now?" begs James, trying to spare him and Lily a lecture.

Dorea gives him a look. "Yes, we absolutely do and it _is_ my business since I'm your mother and I'm no eejit."

Lily blushes scarlet and James looks at the ground to avoid his mother's intense stare.

"Did you two use protection?"

"Yes," replies Lily quickly. She smiles furtively at James and he responds by winking discreetly at the floor.

"I'm going to spare you a lecture especially because it seems like you two have your heads screwed on but I just hope that you weren't forced into anything Lily." She looks at her son when she says this and his head snaps up, his eyes flashing. "Don't look at me like that James Charlus Potter, I know your reputation at school for being a player."

Lily bites on her lip to keep from laughing at his expression. He looks murderous.

"I would never force Lily – or any girl for that matter – to do anything she wasn't ready for."

"He's right Dorea," Lily says, jumping in for his defense. "_He_ was the hesitant one at first and I was the one who told him I was ready. _He_ was the one who made sure that the condom was on. He made sure to go at my own pace."

Dorea smiles apologetically at her son and then turns back to Lily.

"I'm not sure if I expressed this clearly Lily but I am so glad that you and James are dating," she smiles at the redhead. "I can clearly see now that you bring out the best in him." Lily smiles too and hugs Dorea.

"I'm glad I finally gave him a chance," Lily admits, laughing and the others join in as well. "We'd better get going though before it gets any later." Dorea and James nod and the three walk out of the room and back to where the front door is.

"Now be careful, you hear?" says Dorea sternly, surveying each and every one of them. "Any place that looks strange or unusual DO NOT go into and anyone who _acts_ strange or peculiar LEAVE THEM IMMEDIATELY. That goes for _all_ of you," she adds, looking at her son.

"We'll be careful mum, don't worry yourself too much," says James, and she gives him a reluctant smile.

"I'm a mother, it's what I do." She pulls each of them into a hug, holding onto her son for a bit longer. Once she lets go of him all eight of them walk to the border of the Potter Manor where the protection spell is not intact and Disapparate on the spot.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The first flat the girls look at is a nice, cozy one, albeit too small to fit all of them. Although there are four bedrooms, there is only one bathroom and that will be a pain in the morning.

Their next stop is a flat that is too big seeing as it has four bedrooms and five bathrooms and that much extra room is not needed.

Their third stop is the perfect size for them, a nice three bedroom flat with also three bathrooms. The price, however, is another story so they have to respectfully decline it, trudging along to keep looking.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The Marauders and Frank, however, do not have the same trouble that the girls are having. Although it takes them a while to find one with enough bathrooms (since Sirius has the propensity to monopolize the shower) they find the perfect flat after their second try.

"It's brilliant," says James, surveying the place. "We'll take it," he says to the realtor.

"Excellent. You lot will just have to sign here…"

"You handle it Moony, you're better at that stuff," says Sirius, going to check out his bedroom again.

Remus sighs and takes the clipboard out of the realtor's hand and as usual, does the heavy-duty thinking.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Their fourth and final stop is the one. It turns out to be conveniently next to the Ministry, which is where they plan on working once they graduate and is incidentally, close to the Marauders flat. It also has the same amount of bedrooms and bathrooms as the third flat, albeit at a lower price.

Lily takes to it immediately and begins exploring the whole place. In the distance, she hears a "pop" and then voices in the hall.

Out of habit, she withdraws her wand and slowly makes her way out only to be greeted by the Marauders.

"Have you lot found a flat?" she asks, stowing her wand away.

James nods. "It's a few minutes away from here. Perfect location." Lily nods and watches as the other six move to sit down on the couch.

James, however, leans down to kiss her and she relishes in the familiar taste of his lips. His tongue enters her mouth and her hands go to his hair.

"OI! Lovers! Get a room!"

The two "lovers" break apart, blushing at how the name is completely accurate. Marlene narrows her eyes at them.

"What's the matter with you two? You've been blushing all day like little schoolchildren when you make eye contact." Sirius, on the other hand, is grinning widely.

"How was it?" he asks. Lily glares at him and James rubs the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly.

"Brilliant," he responds quietly. Lily looks at him shocked but trying hard not to laugh.

"Way to hold up!"

"What the hell is going on?" snaps Alice annoyed. "How was _what?"_ Lily shifts uncomfortably.

"Erm – are we going to go soon? This search has been so long."

Sirius smirks and says the four deadly words.

"That's what she said."

Lily groans and the other girls' eyes widen in shock and then –

"!"

Lily covers her ears as they run over, hugging her and asking her all about it until she is ready to explode.

"Was he bloody brilliant?" whispers Marlene interested. "Was _it_ big?"

"WHOA, HOLD IT!" she cries. "My sex life is _not_ going to be put on display. _Especially_ not in front of _him_." She indicates to Sirius.

"Nice one mate!" says Sirius, slapping James on the back. "You finally scored her!" Remus groans and even Peter knows that was the wrong thing to say.

"WHAT?" cry the girls, all-rounding on Sirius. They are glaring daggers at him. He cowers behind James.

"Help me out Prongs!"

"Sorry mate, you asked for this one," says James shrugging. "Even I'm smart enough to know _never_ to say that I 'scored one'." He winks at Lily and she shakes her head in disdain.

"You lot amaze me more and more every day." She checks her watch and then remembers something. "I'm going to go up to the roof for a moment." Everyone turns to look at her surprised.

"Do you want company?" asks James. Lily can hear the note of concern his tone.

"I'll be fine," she assures him. "I just want to see what it looks like." With that, she walks slowly up the steps.

It is a flat roof, perfect for sitting up there and reflecting if one needs to. With a little redecorating, it can be a nice rooftop garden instead of a pale grey.

"Yes, it has many possibilities," Lily thinks aloud cheerfully. She hears a crackle and thinking it is just one of the others does not bother to turn around. Suddenly, she feels a gloved hand go over her mouth to prevent her from shouting out, which is what she tries to do next.

"Quiet," hisses a voice that she recognizes.

"Mmerus?" she mumbles in shock, her eyes wide. She tries to escape his grasp and in the process knocks over a potted plant.

Her captor does not respond to her but Disapparates on the spot to some unknown location.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Ten minutes have passed and Lily has still not returned. Something does not seem right in James' heart and he decides to go up to the roof to look for her.

He walks up the steps and once he reaches the roof, discovers it is empty and there is no sign of human life.

A sense of foreboding sweeps over him and he looks around anxiously, as if he might of missed Lily's flaming, flyaway red hair. He subconsciously looks off the roof and sees no one below the flat. He knows Lily would not have fallen off though; Lily is not a clumsy person.

It is when he begins walking back that he notices a potted plant that has been knocked over. His heart beat races at this. Was there a struggle? As he looks closer he sees a strand of red hair amongst the brown dirt. He picks up the contaminated hair and sticks it in his pocket.

James runs back down the stairs to the living area where everyone else is gathered waiting for him.

"Where's Lily?" asks Alice concerned.

"I haven't a clue," says James anxiously.

Lily has disappeared.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Just in case it became questionable, I am not lesbian. Just wanted to describe this as well as any inexperienced person can and that included describing Lily… This is a really weird authors note though so I think this is when I ask for you to please review!


	30. Prisoners Unite

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 30 – Prisoners Unite

_Lily had somehow disappeared._

"What do you mean you don't have a clue where she is?" cries Marlene.

James takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself but it is proving difficult. With Lily missing, it is like a piece of his soul is missing too.

"I went upstairs to look for her because she seemed to be taking longer than anticipated and I could not find anyone there," he says, trying not to yell. "I looked _everywhere_ and I couldn't find her anywhere."

"You must have missed her," says Marlene rather harshly.

"How could I have missed her red hair?" shouts James angrily.

"Don't you yell at her," says Sirius, jumping to his girlfriend's defense.

"She's accusing me of not seeing Lily!"

"You _could_ have missed her, James," says Alice, trying to take both sides.

"Oh sure, take _her_ side," says James, indicating towards Marlene.

"Don't you have a go at her!" shouts Frank. Peter, meanwhile, is looking back and forth as if this is some interesting Quidditch match.

"Stop," says Remus quietly but firmly. Everyone, somehow, hears him and quiets down. "Bickering isn't going to get us any closer to finding Lily. We should walk over to the Ministry and tell your father, James and then go back to your house and let your mum know what happened."

James nods and they walk outside and Disapparate to the Ministry.

"Excuse me, I need to speak with Charlus Potter," says James to his dad's secretary.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Like hell I need an appointment, I'm his son!" says James hotly.

"Calm down, Prongs," implores Sirius.

"Well, why didn't you say so?" asks the secretary. "Just go through there." She points at the door behind her desk.

The eight of them walk over to the door and James knocks thrice on it.

"Come in," says a weary voice.

James opens the door and walked over the threshold, much to the surprise of his father.

"James!" says Charlus surprised. He notices that he is not alone then. "What are you all doing here? Where's Lily?"

"See, that's the problem," says Remus. "We have no idea." A faint crease appears on Charlus' already aged forehead.

"Sit down and tell me what happened."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

After they finish telling him everything they knew, Charlus says that he will escort the remaining eight home.

"What are we going to do, dad?" asks James. "How are we going to find Lily?"

"First things first, we need to get you all back to the Manor and secure the enchantments surrounding the house tenfold. Someone on the other side has obviously got an eye on you all or they would not know where to find Lily."

"Secondly, we need to alert Professor Dumbledore and the rest of the Order. If anyone is to know where to begin looking for Lily, it will be Albus."

They nod and stand up along with Charlus who rubs his forehead. He then looks at them all each in turn.

"You all have to promise me you won't go wandering out of the boundaries of the Manor or go anywhere alone anymore," he says. "Promise me that."

"We promise," they all say in perfect unison. Charlus nods.

"Good, that's a start. Come on, we're going to Apparate to the edge of the enchantments. I'm right in assuming that you all have you Apparation licenses?" They all nod. "Good, let's go."

They all turn on their heel and think of the boundary of the Potter Manor, focusing completely on their destination, with determination and deliberation.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"My lord, I have brought you Evans," murmurs Severus, his heart silently breaking for the unconscious redhead lying before him.

The one whose name is so seldom spoken does not immediately respond to this proclamation. When he does, he refrains from turning around.

"Good, very good Severus," he says, his snakelike eyes still staring out the grimy window. "Bring her to the dungeon where our other prisoner is currently being kept."

"Yes, my Lord," sighs Severus. He lifts Lily up off the ground again and drags her dead weight down the dungeon stairs. He places her down gently next to their other captive in hopes that they will come up with a way to escape together.

He walks back up the stairs and with one last look at the ghostly white Lily, closes the door behind him with one last sigh.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So, how did the flat hunting go?" asks Dorea nervously. They are home sooner than she had anticipated and at the sight of her husband, she knows something is wrong. "Charlus, dear, what are you doing home so early?"

Charlus looks grim. "James and company came to my office about half an hour ago," he says slowly.

Dorea looks confused then notices the absence of Lily.

"Where's Lily?" she asks with a note of panic in her voice.

"Your guess is as good as ours," says Sirius.

"What do you mean by that?" asks Dorea sharply. "I thought I told you all to leave if anything seemed off!"

"Nothing did though!" cries James. "Everything seemed normal and she just wanted to go up and see the roof –"

"And you let her go alone?"

"I asked if she wanted company –"

"You should have gone regardless."

"James has learned the hard way not to force his company upon Lily," defends Remus. "It seemed only natural for him to just let her go along instead of fighting her."

"Has Albus been contacted yet?" asks Dorea.

"I told them I would contact him as soon as I brought them home," says Charlus. He takes out his wand and says 'Albus' into it.

"Hello?" replies the aging Headmaster. He sounds intrigued for someone who probably uses this system of communication often.

"Hello Albus, it's Charlus."

"Ah, good afternoon," greets Professor Dumbledore. "How may I be of assistance?"

"Lily has gone missing."

"I'll be right there."

Charlus stows his wand back into his pocket and all of a sudden the doorbell rings.

"Good to see you again Albus," greets Dorea.

"Like wise, Dorea," says Professor Dumbledore, crossing the threshold. He turns to face Charlus. "Miss Evans has indeed gone missing?"

"Yes sir," says James, before his father can reply.

"Where were you all when she disappeared?" asks Professor Dumbledore, sitting down upon Dorea's request.

"We were searching for flats, all of us," explains James. "The five of us – _he indicates to the other Marauders and Frank_ – came to visit the girls at theirs, which is right next door to the Ministry. Once we realized she was gone, Remus said it would be best to go next door and tell my father."

Professor Dumbledore nods his approval towards Remus, who in turn turns a pale shade of pink.

"What had happened before Miss Evans was kidnapped?" continues Professor Dumbledore.

"She wanted to look at the roof of the flat," intervenes Alice with tears in her eyes. Frank wraps his arm around her. "James had asked if she wanted to be accompanied up but she said no, and that she would be fine."

She takes a deep breath and Sirius decides to take over.

"After about ten minutes, James decided to go up and see what was taking so long. He went up and he couldn't see her anywhere."

"There was a plant that had been knocked over also," James adds. "The pot was shattered and I found a strand of her hair in the dirt." He pulls it out to hand to Professor Dumbledore. "It looked like there had been a struggle."

"Afterwards, he came down and told us that he had no idea where she was," continues Sirius.

"Then that's when Remus decided that we should go to the Ministry and alert you all," finishes Peter.

The whole room is silent, the adults contemplating all that has happened and what they have been told.

"Did Miss Evans seem troubled in anyway this morning? How was she acting?"

Everyone turns to look at James, smirking at him and he turns tomato red. Professor Dumbledore looks at him also and his eyes begin sparkling again.

"I see." James' face feels like it is on fire. "We have to alert the rest of the Order immediately. We'll start sending out a search party."

"My thoughts exactly," says Charlus, standing up. "In the meantime, I must get back to the office but I'll make sure to alert those in the Order who are working now what has occurred."

He kisses his wife and grasps his son's shoulders before he walks to the boundaries where the enchantments end. They all turn to Professor Dumbledore in order to know their next move.

"For right now, you all have to stay inside these boundaries where you are protected," instructs the Headmaster. "Voldemort is becoming imprudent and could easily get one of his followers to capture one of you in the streets as they did to Lily."

"Please, give me your word that you will not go searching for Lily just to play hero, James," says Professor Dumbledore, now addressing James. "You are so easily made irascible and we cannot afford to have you kidnapped also."

James, albeit surprised at the Headmaster addressing him, in turn frowns at being described as "irascible", but he does not contradict him because he knows it is true.

James sighs. "Fine, I won't go searching for Lily."

Professor Dumbledore pats his shoulder and bids goodbye to the rest of them.

"Until later," he bows to Dorea. She smiles slightly as he turns on his heel and walks to the exact spot that Charlus had Disapparated and does the same.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

As Severus sits in the abandoned shack that he had recently found and claimed as his own, he thinks about Lily lying on the cold, metal floor of that dungeon.

He is sure that a search party will be forming as he sits there. He cannot erase the panic in her voice when he placed his hand tightly over her mouth, disabling her to cry out.

Severus had never wanted to follow the Dark Lord's orders in kidnapping Lily for his own selfish reasons but he obliged so he would not be killed. He, in his own right, is just as selfish, if not more, than his master. He so often said to Lily that they should still be friends and constantly thought that it was her fault for ending their friendship but in retrospect, he is the one that has made it impossible the second he began defending his friends' actions.

Severus knows Lily has never approved of his friends, no matter how much she tried to stay impartial and not stoop to House rivalries. He has pushed the matter to the breaking point though and had even been critical on her friend choice, which had been a grave mistake. If anything, Lily is a true Gryffindor through and through and will not hear a word against anyone.

That is one of the many characteristics he loves about Lily. Besides being smart and beautiful, she also has a knack for seeing the beautifulness in others when they cannot see it themselves. She also stands up for people who cannot or will not stand up for themselves and frowns upon people who bully others, partially because she has been on the receiving end of bullying before.

That would be the reason she had hated Potter and Black for all those years…for picking on her _and_ him. He cannot deny the joy he had gotten when Lily's eyes flashed and she had threatened to hex Potter's arse off and the way her nostrils had flared at the use of Severus' "nickname". It had all ended…

That day.

That damn day that will forever haunt him and tarnish his once strong friendship with Lily…if only he had acted differently…he had not meant for it to slip out of his mouth. It just sort of came out on his own accord and he did not mean a word of it. He had tried to convince Lily this but it seemed that had not been what had hurt her. It had been the fact that she said that if he could call other Muggleborns that foul name, she should be the same. What kills Severus the most is…

She is right.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily wakes, startled, confused, and extremely cold. She shivers and realizes she is also aching because apparently she is on a cold, metal floor. She can barely feel her limbs due to her wearing clothes meant for warm weather.

"Where am I?" she asks aloud and is shocked to hear her voice sounding so weak.

"Well, some would call it hell but seeing as neither of us are dead that would be a false label," says a weary voice from beside her.

She nearly jumps out of her skin. She is not alone?

"Who's there?" she asks. Subconsciously, she reaches to pull out her wand, only to find it missing.

"Don't waste your time," says the other captive, obviously having seen her movement. "They stripped us of our wands the second we got down here."

"Who are you?" repeats Lily.

"You're Lily Evans, right?" asks the man, ignoring her question on his identity.

"Maybe."

The man laughs but it seems almost forced.

"Yes, I've heard about you quite often during my time here. Voldemort seems hell bent on wanting you dead. It's become almost what one can call an unhealthy obsession."

"Is that so?" says Lily interestedly. "How long have you been here for?"

"Oh, about a year and a half." Lily's eyes widen although the other prisoner cannot see it.

"Well, if you've lasted that long than I guess I can too," she says hesitantly. The man shakes his head.

"They want you dead more than they ever wanted me dead. The sole purpose for keeping me locked down here was to torture my family into believing me dead. They even sent them a picture and a fake body that looked like me…" The man sniffs and trails off.

"That's terrible!" whispers Lily, her eyes brimming with tears. "Who are your family?" she asks, trying a different tactic.

The man smiles weakly, not missing a trick.

"The Potter's."

If the other captive had been able to see Lily's face clearly, he would have laughed himself silly at the thunderstruck look she is now wearing. This is not a common facial expression for Lily but right now…she is confused beyond belief.

"The…_Potter's_?" she repeats as if she had not heard him correctly.

"That's right," says the man. "You seem surprised, but one would expect you to be. If you don't mind my asking, what is going on inside of your head right now? I can practically hear the wheels turning."

Lily smiles. This man has James' humour and charm, for sure so they must be closely related.

"Well, I'm thinking you are a lot like James so you must be closely related," Lily thinks aloud. The man grins.

"I've been told that before," he smirks. "In what ways am I like James?"

"Well…your humour is the same, very dry…you're both charming…you're just eating this up, aren't you? He would do the same."

The man laughs. He also has the same laugh as James, which makes Lily's heartache in pain to see the messy-haired boy again.

"Anyway," she continues slowly. The man's laughter ceases. "You seem a good several years older than James…"

"Five years, to be exact."

"Okay…" says Lily, thinking still. "He did mention having an older brother who died…I believe his name was John? Would this John be you?"

"Yes."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James sits at the desk that occupies one of the walls in his room. He stares absentmindedly out his window, thinking about where Lily may be right now and praying that she is not being tortured. He had originally decided to sit here in order to get a jump-start on his summer assignments but that is proving impossible with the looming suspicion that Lily is in a bad situation.

He hopes, although no one should be held prisoner, that at least she had some company down there. He cannot begin to fathom how terrifying that experience would be if she has to go through it alone.

He fiddles with his quill, pulling the feathers out of it and throwing them on the ground. He is on his fifth quill after sitting there for only ten minutes.

_Knock. Knock._

"Come in," says James wearily, not bothering to find out who it is, which he will regret after.

The door opens and in comes Jessica. She walks over to him and sits on her brother's bed.

"Hey," she says quietly.

He turns to look at her shrewdly. "What are you doing?"

"Erm – sitting on your bed?" James glares at her and she sighs. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine," he snaps. Now it is Jessica's turn to look at him shrewdly.

"You sound anything but," she states. "Look, I know you're upset –"

"That's the understatement of the century," sneers James.

"- But that doesn't mean you get to take it out on everyone else," finishes Jessica, ignoring his interruption. "We're all worried about Lily, in case you have failed to notice and while your cooped up her sulking, the Order is working over time to find her."

"Dumbledore told me to do nothing," says James coolly. "I'm only following his orders and not doing anything."

Jessica looks at him as if he has sprouted another five heads.

"And you're going to listen to him?"

James looks at her for a minute before breaking into a grin that stretches from ear-to-ear.

"What did you have in mind?"

Jessica puts her hand to her heart in mock surprise.

"James! I am surprised at you! Aren't you, as the older brother, supposed to tell me that we shouldn't –?"

"Okay, cut the rubbish, Jess," he grins. "Share your idea with me before it dies of loneliness." Jessica smirks and begins explaining her plan to an avidly listening James. "How could you possibly know they're keeping her in the Malfoy Manor?" he asks curiously.

"I overheard –" she begins.

"You mean you eavesdropped?"

"Eh, if you want to put a label on it then sure, I eavesdropped. _Anyway_, mum and dad were saying that he recently switched locations to the Malfoy Manor for maximum security."

"Which will make it even more difficult to get to Lily," James thinks aloud. "Do you have suspicions of _where_ exactly they're keeping her? I mean the Malfoy Manor is a _big_ place."

"Most likely the dungeons," says Jessica. "It's going to take a while though and we're going to need to carefully plan this. I suggest we don't tell anyone else about this –"

"What about the other Marauders?" asks James immediately.

Jessica hesitates. "I _guess_ we could tell them…"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"No way! We're coming too!" says Marlene furiously that evening.

James glares at Sirius. "You _told_ her?"

"Damn straight he did and we want to come!"

"We?"

"Frank, Alice, Margaret, and I, of course!"

"No, we can't have _everyone_ come!" cries Jessica. "There's no way we'd be able to get out of the house without mum and dad and the rest of the Order noticing."

"Plus, there's the matter of transportation –" says James.

"We're all of legal age besides Jessica and she can use sidelong Apparation with you Prongs," says Sirius. James glares at him.

"Still think it was a good idea to tell the Marauders?" asks Jessica. "Sirius is the biggest blabbermouth I've ever met!"

"Hey!"

"Lily's our friend too, James," says Frank evenly. "We should get to choose whether we go with you guys or not and we choose we want to."

James sighs and looks at everyone. "Fine, there's no use arguing with you all. However, we're going to have to rethink our plan now and it'll probably take even longer."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So, you've been down here for a year and a half," says Lily yawning.

"Yep," says John, looking around with lack of interest. "It's funny how much the lack of light can take the energy out of you. It's been the same scenery day in and day out with the exception of when they were torturing me upstairs."

"Were?"

John nods. "Yes, they stopped torturing me after a while and then knocked me unconscious for a good week. That's when they poised my death for my family…" He falls silent.

Lily puts a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry. This might make you feel better or worse, I wouldn't know, but James has always spoken with a lot of respect towards you. Apparently you were the only one who could calm down your brother Jarred?"

John smiles slightly. "Yes, he always did have a nasty temper…have you met him?"

Lily nods. "Once or twice. He's not really around Hogwarts or your home." John nods as if this does not surprise him.

"Not surprising, he has always kept to his room and I guess more so now that I've been gone –" He stops short.

The door creaks open and light pours in, blinding both of the prisoners. A man closes the door after him and walks down the stairs lightly and casually.

He lifts Lily roughly off the ground and to her feet.

"The Dark Lord demands your presence for questioning," says a gravelly voice. Lily recognizes it as the voice of Mulciber and suppress' a shudder. He has always given her the creeps.

"I'm not going to tell him anything," says Lily defiantly.

"We'll see," sneers Mulciber.

"Good luck," croaks John.

"Shut it, you," snarls Mulciber before Lily can reply.

"Thanks," whispers Lily. She is jerked up the steps and into the excruciatingly painful light.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Okay, so we're going to need to split into several teams since there are so many of us," says James, tapping his wand against a whiteboard he typically uses for writing Quidditch strategies. Marlene raises her hand.

"Yes?"

"Explain again why you feel the need to write this down on a whiteboard," she says uncertainly.

"Because it makes it more official and it makes me feel important," snaps James. "Any other dumb-ass questions?"

No one says anything else except for Marlene who mutters, "hmpf" under her breath.

"Good. So since there are nine of us, we're going to be going in three groups of three," says James, tapping the board. The groups he had thought up appear on it. "The groups will be as shown. Group gold is Sirius, Margaret, and I, group red is Alice, Remus, and Marlene, and group blue is Frank, Jessica, and Pete. Any questions?"

Several hands shoot into the air at once.

"Yes, Remus?"

"How will be staying in constant communication in case someone gets into trouble or we find Lily?" he asks.

James nods. "An excellent question, my dear Moony. You see, I've thought long and hard on that –"

"We just came up with this plan a little while ago," points out Jessica.

"– And you all remember, with the exception of Jessica, how my dad communicated with Dumbledore, right?" They each nod in turn. "Well, I've been practicing and it's fairly straightforward. All you have to do is concentrate hard on whom you want to contact and firmly say their name into your wand. For example…"

He clears his throat and concentrates with all his might on Peter.

"Peter Pettigrew," says James, loudly and clearly. Less than a second later his voice is heard again coming out of Peter's wand.

Poor Peter, in his surprise, falls backwards off his chair and onto the floor. Everyone stifles a laugh as he gets up, red-faced and wrinkled.

"Anyway, you lot should practice doing that and group blue, since you have one person underage you're responsible for protecting her –"

"I can take care of myself," huffs Jessica.

"You shouldn't even be going at _all_," says James. "Mum will have my head if she gets wind…"

"It was _my_ idea to save Lily," retorts Jessica. "You're the one who was content with just sitting back and letting the Order try and find her. We'd probably be waiting for another couple of month's if it wasn't for my idea!"

"First off, I was only trying to follow Dumbledore's orders and secondly," James continues irritably, "we haven't saved Lily _yet_. When we do _then_ and only then will I give you praise."

Jessica crosses her arms bitterly and the others stand up to begin practicing with each other. James grins and admires all of his friends. He has no idea where he would be without them.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

He taps his fingers impatiently, waiting for his one of many servants to bring the Mudblood up to him.

It has been decided (by himself, obviously) that he is not to kill Evans yet. In fact, he will _draw out_ her death, unlike her parents'. It will be far more painful and will enable him to perhaps extract some information about the Order of the Phoenix.

There is a knock on the door.

"Come in," he says coldly.

Mulciber comes in, practically dragging Lily by her arm as if she is a disgusting little kid who has been rolling around in mud.

_It fits her blood status_ thinks Voldemort.

"Ah, the Mudblood Evans has once again 'graced' us with her presence," he smirks.

"I was kidnapped," says Lily through clenched teeth. "I would hardly classify that as 'gracing' someone with my presence."

"The Dark Lord does not appreciate the tone of voice you are holding with him –"

"Why are you talking in the third person?" asks Lily daringly. "I mean I know you're a nutter but –"

"Enough! The Dark Lord does not tolerate back talk from those inferior to him! _Crucio!"_

Lily falls to the ground and writhes in pain, white-hot pain coursing through her body and scorching her limbs. She bites her lip, not allowing herself to beg for the end. She will not lose her self-dignity like she has lost her freedom.

Once the pain stops, she lies panting on the floor. She reaches up to her bottom lip only to feel hot blood trickling down her chin. Apparently her bite is hard…good to know.

"…how was it?" asks Voldemort, interrupting her thoughts. Apparently he has been talking. "I would not know, for I do not feel pain. Would you care for another dose of –"

"You're sick!" cries Lily before he can finish. "You're deranged! You not only killed my parents and got Bellatrix to decapitate my father but you've also been stalking my friends and me! Why do you have such an obsession with killing me?"

"Now, now, if I laid all my secrets out on the table for people to see then I wouldn't be the most powerful Wizard of all time!"

"You're not the most powerful Wizard of all time!" retorts Lily. "Albus Dumbledore is!"

"_Crucio!"_

After five more minutes of pain and torture, Voldemort asks coolly, "Where is the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix?"

"No idea," says Lily harshly. That only earns her another dose of the Cruciatus Curse.

"Do you still have no idea?" Lily nods.

"I'll tell you their location when hell freezes over!" she shouts. Voldemort lets out a cry of frustration.

"Avery! Snape!" he barks. Two shadows slink into the room.

"Yes, my Lord," they murmur. As Lily looks, she notices that Avery has a knowing smirk on his face but Severus looks confused.

"It will be one or the other," sneers Voldemort. "Perhaps the Mudblood will talk more freely if we – ah – _loosen_ her clothes."

Lily's eyes widened in horror and Avery does not look too pleased with the current situation either. Severus, on the other hand, looks horrified beyond belief.

"You _can't_ be serious!" cries Lily in anguish. "Y-You're g-going t-to –"

Voldemort smirks. "One or the other Evans. Since I am a merciful Lord, I will allow you a choice: Avery or Snape?"

Lily's eyes threaten to fill with tears as she looks between the man she loathes and the man who used to be her best friend.

"Severus," she says flatly.

The Dark Lord smirks and Severus looks shocked, not to mention unhappy.

"The upstairs bedroom on the right shall be sufficient enough, I think," says Voldemort. Lily bites her lip again to do anything but wail in despair.

Severus helps Lily back to her feet once more and it is then when she realizes how lightheaded she feels. It is not from the Cruciatus Curse, however, but what is awaiting her behind those closed doors…

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I sure hope Lily's okay," says Alice sadly. "It must be horrible to be prisoner in the Malfoy Manor."

Frank nods, kissing her temple.

"Lily's strong though," he says confidently. "She's overcome Voldemort before and she can do it again, I know it."

"I sure hope so," sighs Alice. "Because to be perfectly honest, although we'd be all devastated if anything happened to her, it would be far worse for James to have to cope with."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James is lying on his bed, going over the plan when there is a knock on his door.

"Come in," he says wearily.

The door opens and Sirius marches in. He walks over to where James is laying and smacks him upside the head.

"Get up, you great lump!"

"Damn it, Pads, what was that for?" asks James grumpily.

"You can't just stay in this bedroom forever thinking the plan over and over in your head! You need fresh air! Preferably, a game of Quidditch to get some."

James puts his head back down on his pillow. "I'm not in the mood."

Sirius glares at him. "Are you seriously going to waste your life away in here?"

"No. Only until we leave to get Lily back!"

Sirius rolls his eyes. "Oh, well _pardon_ me. Mate, Lily-bean wouldn't want you lying here all day. You have to get up and _do_ something!"

"Like I said, I'm not in the mood." Sirius glares at him and then sighs.

"You leave me no choice," he states plainly. He begins walking towards the door and then –

"What do you –?"

Sirius whips around, his wand trained on James.

"_Levicorpus!"_ Sirius thinks.

James curses as he is lifted off his bed and hung upside down in midair. He crosses his arms impatiently.

"Let me down Padfoot."

"Only if you promise to leave this room right afterwards. Keep in mind, you're in a very compromising position." James seems to realize this also because he sighs and gives in.

"Fine. If you let me down I'll come out and play Quidditch with you," he sighs. "I won't like it though."

Sirius grins and thinks, _Liberacorpus_. James lands with a thump on his bed and bounces once before staying still.

"I never said you had enjoy yourself," Sirius points out, opening the door again.

James scowls and gets up. He glares playfully at Sirius as he bows him out the door and the pair of them slide down the banister because whether either care to admit it, they know they will have a great time.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily is thrown into the room as instructed. Severus walks awkwardly and Lily stares at him with her arms crossed.

"I know it was you who kidnapped me, Severus," she says harshly, and he winces. "You never fail to amaze me at how easily you play both sides. You should be an undercover detective."

Severus makes a face. He is one of the few people she can say something like that to and he will understand it. He did, after all, live in a Muggle suburb like her.

"I'm sorry Lily, I never imagined he would –"

"It doesn't matter Severus!" Her voice then cracks, to her chagrin. "Please…please don't do this. Don't…" Her voice trails off, unable to say the disgusting word. "Don't _hurt_ me anymore than you already have," she whispers.

Severus' heart is aching in pain. He does not want to do this – it is the worst kind of punishment, worse than death. He does not want Lily to die either though.

"If I don't he'll know and kill us both," he whispers in response.

"I've heard rumours Severus. Rumours that you can empty your mind and put up barriers." She looks at him shrewdly, and notes his familiar closed expression. "You've become an Occlumens."

Severus does not say anything to prove that she is right.

"Whether I am or I am not doesn't matter Lily. He can read you. When you're angry, you're vulnerable and he takes advantage of that. To be a skilled Occlumens, you need to be able to detach yourself from all emotion."

"Well, that shouldn't be hard for you since you never show much emotion anyway," she says dryly, and his lip threatens to betray him.

"Yes, well…" he also trails off and looks at Lily. She is dirty but it is nothing compared to what she will be in a little while. He feels sick to his stomach and knows he cannot go through with this. "The only other option is Avery."

Lily cannot help it, she visibly shivers at the prospect. She is with _James._

Severus' eyes narrow and with a pang of horror, she knows that he intruded her mind and heard the last part. He knows that this morning she slept with James.

His face contorts in disgust and he looks away from her in pain. Without another word, he leaves the room and Lily is left standing there, wandless and vulnerable.

A second later the door reopens and in strolls Avery looking extremely put out. It is nothing though to how Lily is feeling. She thought that she had convinced Severus to lie to Voldemort but again, she was wrong about him. Having sex with Avery would be far worse than Severus, he would be relentless.

"I'm not looking forward to this anymore than you are," sneers Avery, locking the door. He also soundproofs it, which only increased Lily's fear tenfold.

"Then don't do it!" she cries furiously. "Why are you willing to do something for Voldemort if –"

"_Don't speak his name,"_ snarls Avery.

Lily sighs. "You don't have to do it," she states plainly. He looks at her as if she is crazy.

"I have to follow my master as much as you 'have' to follow that crackpot Dumbledore," he says quietly.

"Professor Dumbledore is no such thing," she says vehemently. "He's a million the man that Voldemort could ever be!"

"We don't have time for your foolish games of loyalty towards our eccentric headmaster," Avery says coldly. "Personally, I never imagined being the one who would be wrecking your virginity, but –"

"How do you know I'm a virgin?" asks Lily.

Avery snorts. "Please. Are you trying to tell me you're _not?"_

"I _do_ have a boyfriend." His eyes are shocked at first but then he sneers.

"Well, well, well. Looks like the 'perfect' Evans isn't so innocent after all. I never knew you were such a _slut_." She winces at the name and tries to back away but he steps forward, cornering her against the wall.

"Get ready for the time of your life," he leers, "because I guarantee you that I will be a much better shag than Potter."

He smirks at her expression and brings his lips crashing onto hers and she can feel herself already screaming in agony. What terrifies her most is that this is not even the worst part yet.

"Stop squirming," he says viciously, his mouth still pressed against hers. He pulls back momentarily, "_Stupefy!"_

Being paralyzed only makes it all the more worse because she cannot move to attempt in defending herself, or even close her eyes, as he tears her shorts off and slides his hand up her thigh.

"Some would consider it lucky Evans, that your fucking a Pureblood," Avery smirks against her lips. "Other's would say it is _fate."_

His grin widens at the terror in her eyes. A tear slides down her cheek. He licks it away and shoves his pointer and middle finger roughly inside of her.

"You're wet already? Damn, Evans, I was right about you being a slut." If she could, she would be glaring at him right now. "Aw, come on now, why so tight?"

He ignores the tears now flowing freely from her eyes, pausing his exploration momentarily only to see to the fly of his trouser's.

"If you think this is bad, you're in for a rude awakening," he grins. He pressed his erect penis up against her, taunting her with it to the point where she wishes that Voldemort can just kill her now. Death would be _nothing_ compared to this torture.

He continues taunting her with his penis. He rubs it against her opening and then takes her hand, making her give him a hand job. He moans with pleasure as he forces her to caress his head and climaxes all over her. He then flips her over and forces it into her mouth. Every voice is screaming in her head, wanting this sick bastard to die.

Her thoughts are interrupted when he takes it out of her mouth and she wants to scream so badly at the feeling the head of his penis sliding inside her. It is not like when James did it for then, he did it lovingly and gently.

Apparently her face reveals her pain and he looks at her with a mixture of dry amusement and wonder.

"You know what would make this all the more better?" he says conversationally. "If I could hear you scream when I go in further…"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

John sits alone in the dungeon, wondering what they are doing to Lily and thinking about his family.

It has been over a year and a half since the last time he saw them and his heart aches whenever he thinks about how they must have reacted to his "death". He has tried countless times to escape but it has proved impossible, due to the lack of light and the fact that someone is guarding the door morning through evening. He has several times tried to get in contact with his family but had found the dungeon "magic proof" and had gotten a severe beating for it.

Lily's fate is sure to be far worse than his, though. For one, she is small enough to begin with and secondly, they could torture her in more ways than they can with him.

John shivers at the one thought that enters his mind and hopes with all his might that even _Voldemort_ is not as vile and cruel as that.

One thing is certain though. If this is the true Lily Evans that James had come home every holiday talking about…well, he is sure she will be able withhold for quite a while.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

_CLICK!_

Avery had unStunned Lily and left her sobbing on the bed that she has been forced to make love in. He has ordered her to take a shower and then report downstairs again, but she finds she is in too much pain to move.

Pain is not all she feels though. Betrayal is up there as well. Severus' betrayal towards her…she never imagined it would extend this far. To sit back and allow them to torture her in the worse way possible…She had been _raped_ because Voldemort had _ordered_ him to do so!

This is _not_ how love is supposed to feel at all. Sure, it has its ups and downs but at the end of the day love is always worth it. She felt love this morning when she made love with James and _this_ is anything _but_ worth it.

She walks over slowly to the window (Avery had forgotten to lock it) and opens it to let some cool air in. Without warning, a streak of red soar in and land on her shoulder. She looks to her left shoulder and sees the beautiful Fawkes perched there.

The sight of her makes Lily's eyes fill with warm tears and she sits down once more on the bed. The phoenix's eyes are filled with tears also.

"Don't cry Fawkes," she sighs. "You're only making me feel more horrible. I must look like a wreck."

She looks down at herself and indeed, she is a bloody mess…literally. She has bite marks on her skin and blood on her legs.

"You came a little too late," she whispers. She pauses. "Am I able to send a letter back with you to tell everyone that I am okay?"

Fawkes gives her a look that reminds her uncannily of Professor Dumbledore. The bird might as well have been saying, "I know for a fact you are anything _but_ fine".

"Don't look at me like that," says Lily sternly. "I could have been far worse but I'm convinced he let me off a little easier because he hated it." If Fawkes could, he probably would have rolled his eyes at Lily's nature of trying to see the good in people.

The doorknob turns and before Lily can jump in surprise, Fawkes disappears in a flash of golden light. Lily sighs, wishing she had sent the letter sooner. She looks to her right and in comes Severus. She narrows her eyes at him and he gasps.

"Lily," he breathes.

"Don't look so surprised, Severus," she said coldly. "You knew damn well what your _best friend_ is capable of. Well, look at me and you'll see it loud and clear." He is unable to look at her though, for the sight is so horrific.

"I never thought –"

"He would do this to me? Yeah, I never thought you would let him either," she spits.

Severus' insides were on fire but knows he can only act accordingly once out of the Dark Lord's watchful eye. Avery is going to pay for this regardless.

"The Dark Lord wants you to get showered and dressed immediately," is all he says before he leaves the room again, closing the door behind him.

Lily sighs and walks slowly to the bathroom, as if it will ease the pain she is not only feeling physically but emotionally. She strips off her now torn clothes and steps into the shower, turning the water on to freezing cold. She lets the cool water hit her back and even after she has been in there scrubbing herself for a good twenty minutes, she still feels as dirty as ever, if not more so.

She wraps a towel around herself and steps out of the shower slowly and carefully. After repairing and _Scourgify_ing her clothes, she puts them back on and dries off her hair. After tying it up in a ponytail, she walks down the stairs.

Lily enters the sitting area to see a dozen Death Eaters and Voldemort gathered there, obviously discussing something. They look up at her arrival and snicker, as if sharing some inside joke that only _they_ are aware exists.

"Enough," says Voldemort and they all fall quiet. He turns to Lily and smirks. "So, was that enough to loosen your tongue?"

As much as Lily wants to say yes, she thinks of James and all of her friends and it gives her the strength to say otherwise.

"You're going to have to do more than that to get me to fess up about the Order," she says, plucking up her limited courage.

Everyone in the room turns to look at Voldemort, asking through their facial expression what they should do.

"If you insist," shrugs Voldemort. "I'm sure I can think of more horrific ways to deal with you. In the mean time…Avery?"

The man who raped her then left her bleeding walks over to his master and hands him an envelope. Voldemort holds it up as if signifying something vital.

"What's that?" asks Lily warily.

"_This_, my dear Mudblood, is the key that'll make your search party abandon their rescue plan."

He opens it up and takes out a very vivid picture of Lily, right after Avery had finished. She is lying on the bed, unconscious, but it appears to be as if she were –

"A very convincing death photo, isn't it?" smirks Voldemort. "I daresay it will even stop the Potter brat's heart."

Lily's eyes narrow. "You wouldn't _dare_."

Everyone laughs and jeers at her, with the exception of Severus who only does it half-heartedly so no one will suspect anything of him.

"You honestly believe that you can do something about it?" sneers Voldemort. "Stop _me?_ The most powerful sorcerer in the world?"

"Like I said before, Albus Dumbledore is the most powerful sorcerer in the world," says Lily simply.

Voldemort's red eyes narrow dangerously.

"She sickens me and her presence is ruining my good mood," he says airily. "Take her back to the dungeons until she is called upon once more."

Avery and Mulciber each grab an arm and she flinches. They drag her back to the staircase and anything but throw her back down.

"It's been real," jeers Avery.

Lily winces as she lands on the floor and the door slams behind her. She sighs as the door locks once more and she is forced to sit down in her previous spot.

"What did he mean when he said, 'it's been real'?" asks John sharply. "What did they do to you, Lily?" He tries to place a comforting hand on her shoulder but she nearly jumps a foot when one finger touches her. His eyes widen.

"They didn't –" he trails off. "Oh, Merlin, Lily, please tell me they didn't do what I think they did!"

Lily nods her eyes filling with tears again and John lets out a noise of disgust and fury.

"They're absolute pigs," he snarls. "I never imagined Voldemort would be capable of ordering that of someone. I would have never let you go up there…"

"What would you have done? Gone for me?" asks Lily dryly. She is smiling though at the kindness of James' brother.

John smiles slightly, knowing she is right in knowing how little he could have done to protect her. He is starting to truly realize why James loves Lily so much and he wishes he had not teased him about it for all those wasted years.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Send it now," instructs Voldemort impatiently. "Make sure it goes to the Bloodtraitors' son also. _He's_ going to be the one in charge of the rescue mission."

Voldemort watches as the eagle soared out of the open window and disappears into the distance.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Frank come back inside hours later. Remus, Peter, and Frank joined them a little while into the game and despite the weighing feeling Lily has on them all, they had a fairly good time.

"I told you I would win," boasts James.

Sirius sticks his tongue out. "That's only because you knocked me off my broom during the first round!"

"Well, to be fair you _did_ jinx his broom," says Frank evenly.

"Too bad we didn't have an actual Snitch," comments Peter.

"Yeah, but the Golden Snidget was a good substitute," says James, putting his broom in the shed right behind the Manor.

"Except for it flying away halfway through the game and it being _very_ illegal considering killing them was outlawed in the middle of the fourteenth century," states Remus.

"Aw Moony, don't be such a spoilsport," pouts Sirius.

Remus glares at him. "I'm sorry, do you feel like paying a hefty fine for killing an already endangered species? I didn't think so."

They walk into the house in a tense silence and Dorea comes running up to them, her eyes puffy, red, and bloodshot. It looks as if she has been crying for a while.

"Mum, what's wrong?" asks James alarmed. He seldom sees his mum cry unless someone close to them has died. She is the strongest woman he knows, aside from Lily.

Dorea's eyes fill up with fresh tears at the sight of his puzzled face.

"J-James," she gasps. He looks away from her face and down to the torn envelope in her hand. It has his name on it.

"You opened one of my letters?" asks James shocked.

"J-James –" tries Dorea again.

"Let me see the letter."

"N-No, James!" argues Dorea. The others are standing back looking severely uncomfortable with the scene unfolding.

"Who's it from?" demands James. "At least tell me that, mum!"

Dorea gasps. "V-Voldemort."

James' heart skips a beat. "Does it have to do with Lily?"

Dorea's tears are flowing freely now.

"No, no, mum, don't say it," says James, his breath ragged. "She's _okay_. Sh-She's okay."

"J-James, she's n-not coming back," gasps Dorea.

"No," says James, not wanting to believe it. "If Lily was…I would know. I would be able to feel it in my heart. Lily's _a part_ of me. She always has been. She can't be –"

"We have proof. H-He sent a picture," she sobs.

"What are you talking about?" gasps James. "What are you talking about? A picture of what?"

"L-Lily's dead."

"DON'T SAY THAT! DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT, MUM!" shouts James furiously. The other Marauders and Frank are shocked.

"I-I'm sorry, J-James –"

"No, no, you're wrong, that's it, you're wrong," says James, mainly so he can believe it for himself. "You made a mistake, the Order made a mistake, that's all there is –"

"Sh-She's gone, okay, James –"

"Show me the picture," says James, trying to keep his voice even and not allowing any tears to fall.

"No."

"I want to see it mum, show me the picture!"

"She was beautiful and extremely brave," says Dorea. Her tears have stopped falling now. "That's how you should remember her –"

"SHOW ME THE PICTURE!"

"DON'T DO THIS TO YOURSELF!"

"I LOVE HER! I DESERVE TO SEE HER!"

Catching her off guard, he lunges for the envelope in her hand. She does not let go that easily though and tries to pull it out of his reach. Eventually, he succeeds in getting it from her and opens it and –

"!"

"OH, MERLIN!" he shouts. He cannot hold back the tears any longer. The sight of Lily's mangled, bloody body on that bed makes his whole world coming crashing down around him.

The others crowd around to see the picture and give a collective gasp and shudder.

"What did they -?" begins Peter horrified.

"Someone raped her," growls James. "I swear to Merlin, I will find out who did it and bloody _murder them."_

"James," warns Dorea but she is ignored because at that moment James blacks out. The picture of Lily slips out of his hand and floats gently, and slowly to the floor.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: I absolutely hate this chapter, it makes me so sad. Please review.


	31. When All Hell Lets Loose

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 31 – When All Hell Lets Loose

The similarity between Margaret, Alice, and Marlene's reactions to James' were expected when Sirius and Remus told them what had happened. The only difference is, they did not faint but they were horrified when they saw the picture and not only cried but were speechless for several hours. They mainly stay holed up in their room of late but James is blissfully unaware of this since he is still out cold in his room, having hit his head rather hard, and is being tended to by his mother.

By the time he comes around from his sleep, two days have passed and his throat is extremely hoarse from having shouted at his mother.

"Mum?" he croaks. Dorea looks surprised at seeing him awake. She smiles but that smile evaporates instantaneously at his next question. "Where's Lily?"

"I-I'm sorry dear," she whispers.

That is when the events from several days ago come back full force. James immediately tries to jump out of his bed but Dorea holds him down.

"I need to find Lily!" he shouts, ignoring the pain it is inflicting on his throat. It is nothing though to how his heart is feeling. "I need to find her and bring her back!"

"You can't bring her back James," says Dorea. James can practically hear her heart break to pieces. It is nothing in comparison to how he is feeling though. He pushes that out of his head though. Lily needs him and the only way he will find her is if he believes her to still be alive.

"Yes I can!" argues James but he admits defeat and flops back on his bed. "Lily's still alive! I can feel it!"

Dorea looks at her son sadly and James looks away, for he cannot stand seeing the pity in her eyes.

"Where's dad?" he asks, mainly to break the silence.

"At work right now but he said if you need him he will come home immediately," says Dorea hastily. "You know; if you need someone just to talk to."

"I'm fine."

"James, you're anything _but_ fine. You've just suffered a major trauma and it's going to hit you hard when you finally realize that Lily's not coming –"

"Don't say it!" warns James.

Dorea sighs, admitting defeat also. "Are you well enough for me to leave you for a little while?"

James gives his mother the famous Potter look. "I'm not five, mum."

"No, but you're human," is all she says before she walks out of the room.

James sighs and falls backwards onto his pillow again. After a minute he bolts up again. He jumps up and walks over to his desk and scribbles a note to the others then opens his window.

"_Accio Nimbus 1001_," he mutters. He waits for a moment and then his legendary broomstick soars through the open window and into his hands.

He is going to find Lily, even if it means doing so alone.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily sits in the cold, morbid dungeon with no one for company. John has been brought up, most likely to be tortured for no apparent reason. It is not like he knows what is going on with the Wizarding World anymore and she has already been tortured and exploited for the day. This time it had been by Mulciber and it had been even more painful than with Avery. He is far rougher with her and she now has purple wheals on her arms and legs.

Lily does not know why Voldemort has not disposed of her yet. Surely in the beginning he had hoped to get some information about the Order out of her but she has proved difficult and stubborn. Why not just get her out of the way now before someone shows up and saves her? That is, if anyone still thinks she is alive…

She never fancied herself having a knight in shining armor at any point in her life, mainly because she is fully capable of caring for herself. That is why she despises Muggle fairytales because all of them consist of damsels in distress and some "Prince Charming" coming to rescue them. It is sickening, thinking of how these princesses' give themselves up to a complete stranger, someone they have never met before, and live "happily ever after".

That is a load of rubbish too because everyone knows there is no such thing as a happily ever after. These stories insinuate that there is no death of the "good" people, no betrayal, and no relationship further than the superficial ones. Never in the stories do they mention how either feels on the inside about the other.

Lily does not believe in love at first sight and the fact that these princesses' can accept a man rescuing them from a dragon or kissing her, triggering her out of her sleep, is pathetic and demeaning. Who would want to go off with a complete stranger or, for that matter, be kissed by a complete stranger? It just makes no sense and no matter how many times Lily runs it through her head, it does not seem any more realistic.

The door reopens suddenly allowing some light to come in but Lily has trained herself not to jump in surprise anymore. John is thrown down the stairs but this time someone follows him.

"Here," he says coldly, dropping a tray next to the pair of them. There are two stale pieces of bread and some water. Lily has not eaten any of the food that they have given her and only drinks the water when she is parched to the point of it being painful. So far, there has been no poison in the drinks but that can all change in a matter of how much hatred Voldemort is feeling.

"What did they do to you?" asks Lily, taking a sip of water.

"The usual," shrugs John, crawling back to his usual spot. "The Cruciatus Curse is far less painful than hearing them mock me about how my family gave up."

Lily smiles sympathetically. "Don't worry. I'm sure they'll continue the search party and if not the Order, James will."

"I can believe that," agrees John. "Whenever James sets his eye on a goal he doesn't back down until he accomplishes said goal. I assume he never stopped going after you?"

Lily blushes faintly and nods. John only laughs.

"Yeah, that's James for you," he grins. "His motto might as well be 'Never Give Up, Never Back Down'."

Lily grins, fully agreeing and rests her head on the cold, hard stonewall. She might as well try and sleep while she can.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Prongs?" calls Sirius through his best mate's door.

No response.

"Prongs, are you all right?" asks Sirius.

Still no response.

Slightly unnerved, Sirius opens the door only to find an abandoned bed, an open window, and a note on James' desk. He walks tentatively over to the note and unfolds it.

_To the Marauders, Frank, Alice, Marlene, Margaret, and Jessica:_

_Don't worry I haven't been abducted._

Sirius smiles slightly but still is anxious.

_I know you all believe Lily to be dead but I disagree. I went to search for her but don't follow me since it'll only cause more alarm. Don't tell mum or dad that I left and once again, __don't__ follow me._

_Sincerely,_

_James aka Prongs._

"Prongs, you eejit," mutters Sirius. He runs out of the room, closing the door behind him, to go find the others.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You're joking!" cries Jessica. Sirius shakes his head.

"So James seriously ran off to find Lily _on his own?"_ asks Marlene, clarifying for the fifth time.

"_Yes_." Everyone is silent, contemplating on what they should do next.

"Well, we're just going to have to follow him," says Remus, breaking the silence.

"He told us not to though," squeaks Peter, clearly terrified of the idea of sneaking into the Malfoy Manor.

"And since when have we ever listened to anything he says?" snorts Sirius. "Come on, I know how we're going to get in."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James lands on the roof of the Malfoy Manor and to his amusement, sees a trap door on the top. This will be all too easy.

He opens it up and jumps down, only to land in an attic. He sighs. Lily is most likely to be in the dungeon and Merlin knows how many floors there are in the Malfoy Manor. Looks like all those years of playing spy are finally going to be put to good use.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Are you sure this'll work, Sirius?" asks Jessica shakily. It was her first time coming along by Side-Apparation and she is feeling slightly nauseous.

"Of course. The Malfoy's were never too bright anyway and would not have thought it prudent to make sure the gates wouldn't allow a Black _Bloodtraitor_ in."

He presses his hand up against the gate and it unlocks itself.

"Come on, we have to hurry or we'll be spotted," says Sirius anxiously. They run around the side of the house and duck behind the bushes.

"We're going to do the same groups that James assigned but with a minor adjustment," whispers Sirius. "Group gold will now be me, Jessica, and Marlene, group red will be Alice, Margaret, and Frank, and group blue will be Remus and Pete. Everyone understand?"

They all nod and wait for further instructions.

"Okay, group blue, you guys need to find a way to distract everyone and make sure they get _away_ from the dungeons," instructs Sirius. "Do anything…flood the place, blow up a wing, whatever can distract them."

Remus and Peter nod and leave them to find an alternate route in. Sirius then turns to Alice, Margaret, and Frank.

"Okay, group red will need to find James and talk some sense into him. He's probably wandering throughout the Manor and you need to be able to come up with an action plan on how to get Lily out once you guys reach her."

All three nod and go the opposite direction of Remus and Peter. Sirius finally turns to Marlene and Jessica.

"And finally, the golden group," he says, forcing a smile on his face.

"You don't have to act so brave, Sirius," whispers Marlene.

"Yeah, I do," he replies in a hushed voice. He leans in to kiss her but Jessica pushes him back.

"No time lover boy," she hisses. "What's our plan?" Sirius turns a faint shade of pink but answers all the same.

"We need to secure a way to get _out_ again. That'll also require us to be in contact with Remus and Peter so we know where we won't be able to escape."

Jessica and Marlene nod and follow him as he walks a few inches towards a slightly open window. Marlene sneaks a peek in.

"It's the kitchens," she whispers, and Sirius grins.

"Perfect." He crouches down next to her and aims his wand at the pipes under the kitchen sink.

"_Bombardo,"_ he whispers. The pipes bursts open on contact and the water comes pouring out, surrounding the house-elves. He then, with help from Marlene, keeps shooting the aguamenti spell repeatedly.

Commotion breaks out as they try to cease the water with their own branch of magic. However, every time they try to stop it, it only keeps rising higher until they are floating on pots and pans.

"Get master Malfoy!" squeaks one of the elves.

"He's in a meeting right now!" squeaks another.

"We'll flood the Manor if someone doesn't get him and he'll be angrier than if we interrupt some meeting!"

"It's with the Dark Lord!"

"Just get him!"

The bravest house-elf of them all, no taller than three feet and with tennis-ball green eyes runs out to get the first Wizard he can find. Sirius mutters something under his breath to make sure the water keep steadily rising.

"Sirius, I thought group blue was taking care of the distraction," says Jessica uneasily.

"Well, it always helps to have more than one distraction in case theirs doesn't work," shrugs Sirius. "Come on, we're going to have to scale the building." He waves his wand and conjures a rope ladder. He raises it so it will connect to the roof and motions for Jessica and Marlene to go before him.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Remus and Peter manage to get into the dining hall undetected. Apparently, there is a meeting in the den so they will have to move quickly or else risk being discovered.

"What distraction should we use?" asks Remus. "Flooding could be fixed too easily and –"

"I've got an idea," grins Peter. "It's something I learned from one of the library books in the Restricted Section."

"Pete, I don't –" begins Remus but it is too late. A fiery dragon erupts from Peter's wand and roars loudly. It leaves his wand and flies around the room.

"You eejit!" cries Remus. "Why in Merlin's name would you let loose _Fiendfyre_ in an enclosed area?"

Peter seems to be at a loss for words, having thought his idea was a good one.

"Do you at least know the counter curse?"

"N-No, the book didn't mention one," squeaks a terrified Peter. Remus' eyes widen and grabs Peter, yanking him out of the room as the dragon lets out a loud roar again and multiplies.

Just as they leave, several Death Eaters burst into the room in time to see the opposite door closing.

"Follow them!" shouts Nott.

"How? It's multiplying!" shouts Rookwood. Indeed it is.

The dragon that had recently multiplied from one to two is now at four and multiplying more as they speak. The room is becoming sweltering hot and if they want to get out of there alive they had better retreat now.

"We'll go out the way we came, they can't have gotten far," instructs the third Death Eater by the name of Cecilia Prado. She is one of the senior Death Eaters and had been a year ahead of Lucius Malfoy.

They all agree and run out of the room, locking in the door behind them but knowing it is no match for the cursed fire.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James can hear panicked screams as he retreats down a spiral staircase. They seem to be coming from the dining hall and he curses. That would have been the quickest way to get to Lily but if the Death Eaters are there he will have to choose another route.

"Prongs!" shouts a voice.

James nearly does a double take as he turn around to see Remus and Peter running towards them. They are both out of breath and in shock.

"I told you guys not to come!" says James angrily. "You didn't bring the others did you?" He notices their guilty faces and groans. "Where are they?"

"I don't know, we split into the groups you had suggested but Wormtail set off a Fiendfyre in the dining hall –"

"What?" screams James. "Shit –"

"I hear them!" shouts the voice of Rodolphus Lestrange. Remus lets out a low growl, remembering him as the one who had almost killed Margaret.

"We don't have time to engage in battle when we have Fiendfyre so close," hisses James. "Come on, we need to go down through the kitchens."

They run out of the hall and head down to where the kitchens are. Suddenly Remus hears a voice from his wand.

"Moony!" cries Sirius' voice.

"Where are you guys?" asks Remus anxiously, forgetting to be angry with Sirius.

"We're in the attic," says Sirius. "Don't go down to the kitchens, we flooded it." James curses.

"Prongsie!"

"Shh, we're right by the kitchens," says an irritated James. "Don't go into the dining hall, by the way –" He is cut off though by the slamming of doors. "Just don't go by there. We have to go."

"Sounds groovy," replies Sirius. They can hear Marlene and Jessica snort in the background. "Shut up, you guys, _everyone_ says groovy. Anyway, am I right in assuming Alice, Margaret, and Frank never met up with you then, Prongs?"

"No…were they supposed to?"

"Yeah, Merlin knows where they are now…"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Meanwhile, we're just standing in a hallway where they're bound to come at any second. Bye," says Remus. He hangs up on Sirius then and they cautiously open the kitchen door only to be swept back down the corridor in waist deep water.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Do you have any idea where we are?" asks Alice confused.

Frank nods hesitantly. "I think the East Wing. I've been here once or twice before but this place has always confused me."

"How will we find James then?" asks Margaret.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Looks like we're just going to have to wander around and hope we're not discovered."

They begin walking down a corridor and hear a scream and a roar in the distance.

"Was that -?"

"Bellatrix? Yeah, I think so," says Frank disgustedly. "As for whether she was the scream or the roar, I couldn't tell you."

"Well, I wasn't referring to her, per se but that's good to know," says Alice uneasily. "That roar –"

"I thought I had imagined it," says Frank tentatively. "That sounds like a roar emitted from Fiendfyre…"

"But who would be daft enough to set off Fiendfyre in a _home?"_ asks Margaret.

"The real question is what eejit would do it _at all?_ We should probably head in the opposite direction –"

"YOU!" shouts a voice from behind them.

They spin around to face an enraged Evan Rosier.

"Did you set off the Fiendfyre in the dining hall?"

"No! We just heard the screaming a second ago!" cries Alice. "We're not eejits, you know."

"You could have fooled –" begins Rosier but he never finishes. His eyes widen and Alice, Margaret, and Frank look over their shoulders to see a huge wave of water pelting towards them.

"Damn it!" yells Frank. He grabs Alice and Margaret's hand and they begin running up the corridor after Rosier but they are no matches for the water. Before they know it, all four of them are added into the mix of people floating down the corridors.

"Oh hey guys, how's it going?" asks James. "So apparently you were meant to catch up with me?"

Frank grins. "Yeah, by the way, we're supposed to talk sense into you and come up with an action plan on how to get Lily out once we reach her."

James thinks for a moment as they turn a corner.

"Funny, I never really thought that far…Look! There's the dungeon door!" He reaches out for the knob and hangs onto it with all of his strength. The others anxiously try to grab for his ankles and Remus has actually done so successfully but is knocked off by another powerful wave, whisking him away with James' sneakers. Oh well, sneakers are overrated anyway.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Why do I get the feeling that there is something disastrous going on below us?" asks Sirius once they hear Bellatrix scream.

"Because maybe disaster follows you?" quips Jessica.

Sirius sticks his tongue out at her. "It was a rhetorical question actually but thanks for that."

Jessica and Marlene stifle a laugh and follow him down the stairs.

"Okay, so getting out is probably going to be more of a complication now," says Sirius, over his shoulder. "The kitchen is a no go, although if someone opens the door the water might go out and we _would_ be able to get through that way –"

"Sirius –" begins Jessica.

"Or we could possibly find an alternate route but it would have to be on a lower level since Lily-bean's probably in a lot of pain…"

"_Sirius_," warns Marlene.

"What?" he asks, turning around only to come face-to-face with Bellatrix.

"Hello cousin," she sneers. "I couldn't help but overhear your lacking plan."

"The only thing that's lacking here is brains in your head," snorts Sirius. "If you were smart you'd get out of the way before the Order comes."

Bellatrix's heavily lidded eyes narrow.

"Are you all the one's responsible for the fiasco in the kitchen?"

"Of course," retorts Jessica. "We had to do something to get past you morons!"

Bellatrix directs her attention onto her now. She grins with malice and Sirius takes that as a cue to step in front of Jessica since she is underage and cannot legally defend herself.

"Feisty. You must be another Potter brat. Yes, your brother is probably nearby, as to which one…"

"What are you going on about?" asks Jessica sharply, from behind Sirius.

"Oh, didn't you know? You're dear brother John isn't dead," cackles Bellatrix. "His death was only staged by the Dark Lord to make you all hurt."

"Don't talk shite," snaps Sirius. "If John was alive he would have escaped this hell hole easily."

"Don't sound so sure of yourself because you're anything but –" begins Bellatrix and there is a distant rumble from behind them and several flashes of light.

It sounds as if all hell has broken loose.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James hangs onto the doorknob as if his life depends on it, which it does, and eventually the water passes. He lands with two feet on the ground once more, and turns the doorknob that leads to the dungeon. Taking a deep breath and preparing himself for the sight he will be seeing, he walks down the stairs.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Sounds to me like all hell has broken loose upstairs," says John pensively.

Lily nods in agreement. "I thought I heard a roar from above and several screams. Perhaps the Order or James have arrived."

"Don't get too hopeful," warns John. "It could be another trick from the Death Eaters or Voldemort to mess with our heads."

"True," agrees Lily. "Or they can actually be here."

Just then the door opens and a dripping wet figure descends the stairs.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The entry hall is where the water finally lets off. On the other end of the corridor is where the dining hall is and they can hear the screaming still going on there. Several people crash into the wall, Remus getting the brunt of it.

"Ughh," he groans, rubbing his head.

"Are you okay Remus?" Margaret asks concerned, and he nods. All of them get up then and before they can say anything, Evan Rosier runs off to alert the other Death Eaters of their arrival.

"Son-of-a –" begins Frank but he need not finish because at that moment the other Death Eaters arrive and stare at them.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here," says the recognizable voice of Lucius Malfoy. "Are you lot responsible for all of the damage that has been done to my family's house?"

"Maybe," retorts Remus. He turns to his left, where there is a side corridor, and sees the arrival of Sirius, Marlene, Jessica, and Bellatrix. The latter goes off to join the Death Eaters and the other three to join the rest of them.

"What's going on?" Sirius hisses to Remus, and the latter shrugs.

"All I know is that something is about to go –" But he never finishes because at that moment, the Death Eaters begin to charge. The students of Hogwarts charge back and spells and curses begin flying. Jets of white, blue, red, green, and purple are flying over people's heads and out of others' wands. Some connect with people and others only cause more damage to the already ruined Malfoy Manor.

"Avada Kedavra!"

An all-too familiar jet of green light misses Marlene by a quarter of an inch and the entire hall goes silent. The person who shot it was none other than Rodolphus Lestrange.

"Aaarrrgh! That's my girlfriend you numpty!" Sirius bellows and goes off chasing the perpetrator. Remus and Peter gasp as they remember that they are running down the corridor straight towards the dining hall.

There is dead silence as everyone waits in confusion on what to do. Without their leaders, they are lost. Suddenly, there is a distant rumble and Sirius comes running back, Rodolphus Lestrange hot on his tail.

"AHHHHHH! Some eejit has set the bloody place on fire!" he bellows. The others who were unaware of the fire gasp and their eyes widen in shock as some of it comes down the corridor. It must have escaped from the hall but they can tell that there is still more there and not to go that way. Instead, many of them dart down the corridor that leads off.

Remus grabs Margaret's hand and them and the rest run down also. Not before though, he turns around and waves his wand, which gets the waves of water to start up again.

The two elements continue to chase them all down the twisting corridors of the Malfoy Manor and Remus and Margaret, bringing up the rear, occasionally turn around to try and shoot more water at it. It is not proving to be affective though.

They finally make their way down a second corridor where the fire and water disappear by bursting into each other. Excess flames go everywhere and the others stop to catch their breaths.

Bloody hell.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James walks down the stairs and he has one of those moments where if his jaw was not hinged onto his head, it would have fallen off.

John is alive?

"J-John?" gasps James.

John stands up, wincing as he does so, and walks over to James. He smiles at him once he reaches him. The last time he saw James, he was still shorter than him but now they are eyelevel.

"In the flesh."

James just stares at him for a long moment.

"I-It can't be possible. They s-sent us a picture and a _body_," stutters James. "Wh-Who did we bury then?"

John shrugs, looking uncomfortable. "I haven't a clue but it sure as hell wasn't me. How has the rest of the family been?"

"Different," sighs James. "We seldom if ever see Jarred anymore and the others don't come home because I think they fear the topic of you will come up."

"And mum and dad?"

"Oh, they'll be hysterical when they see you," says James. He looks like he is physically breaking down and before he can stop himself, throws himself at his brother and hugs him tightly. John responds immediately by embracing him and patting his back as though he is a father comforting his son. He was always good like that.

James backs up after a minute or so and wipes his eyes, and then notices Lily watching them with tears in her eyes.

James walks over to her as though he is afraid she will disappear if he moves too quickly or makes sudden movements. He reaches out to embrace her as well but she recoils into the wall.

"Lily," he breathes.

"Please, James, don't," she whispers, wiping her eyes.

"Lily, I love you and I'm relieved you're okay."

"I'm not okay though James," she whispers. "I can't even imagine how horrid and unappealing I must seem to you and everyone else." She is not talking just about the bruises though, but also the damage emotionally all of this has done to her.

He takes her in and although there are scrapes and wheals on her arms and legs, he does not notice them. Instead he notices the beautiful, rambunctious redhead that he has grown to know and love over the past six years. He sees the caring, loving, and down to earth little girl that he first met on the Hogwarts Express during his very first trip to Hogwarts. Most importantly, he sees the now nearly grown woman who has taken his heart and changed him for the better. Without Lily, he would probably still be that obnoxious boy who cursed whomever he pleased without a care to the world.

"I see you for who you truly are Lily," James sighs. "You've been through so many horrific things that not many adult Witches and Wizards have gone through yet you still remain strong. That's only one of your many wonderful traits though Lily. You're also –"

"_Stop_ James," begs Lily. All of the eagerness and happiness that she had felt about seeing him again has evaporated. Now she just feels repulsive and does not want anyone to see her like this.

"Look guys, we can talk about this later but right now we need to _get out of here,"_ says John nervously.

James nods slowly, still staring at Lily. He helps her to her feet. As he holds her arm, he notices her recoil again and his blood boils. He wants to kill the bastard that gave her these marks.

"Can you walk?" he asks, trying to mask his anger.

She sighs, not missing a trick, and nods slightly. "Yes." However, she takes several steps forward and nearly loses her balance.

"John, can you help me?"

Together, the two brothers each take one of Lily's arms and help her up the stairs, much to her vexation.

"I think the flood would have passed us completely by now…" says James, trailing off once the reach the door.

"_Flood?"_ beseeches Lily, her emerald orbs wide. James nods but does not say anything else. He opens the door hesitantly to find the corridor deserted and in ruins. There are shards of glass all over the floor and no one is speaking.

"It looks like a war zone," whispers Lily.

"The only thing it's lacking is a sign of struggle," says John, also looking around. "Something doesn't feel right about this."

Suddenly, there is a flash of purple light that nearly misses John right ear. They spin around to see both of the Carrows smirking at them.

"So, you're trying to escape, eh?" sneers Amycus. "You'll never make it out. The Dark Lord is on his way –"

"Where's everyone else?" asks James coldly.

"No clue, all hell broke loose a little while ago," responds Alecto, twirling her wand in her fingers. "We only came up here to see if the Dark Lord blockaded the dungeon but apparently you got out first…"

"Yes, yes they did," says a higher, colder voice. "They won't escape, however."

They spin around again to see Lord Voldemort, striding towards them with an evil smirk on his face.

"Ah, isn't it wonderful when brothers unite with one common goal?" he sneers. The Carrows howl with laughter and only cease when Voldemort holds up a hand.

"Were you responsible for the flood down in the kitchen?" Voldemort inquires, now addressing James.

"Nope," says James mock cheerfully. "Now if I didn't know you, I'd say that you knowing _that_ would allow us on our way. However –"

"You know better," finishes Voldemort apathetically. He beckons Alecto over to him and presses down on her dark mark, causing her to cringe in pain. "Now to finish you –"

Before they can blink twice, at least thirty Death Eaters have materialized. Their chances of winning against them are looking bleak.

Before any of them can shoot a curse, John puts up an extremely strong aegis around them.

"That ought to hold for a while," he says anxiously. "I'm going to get Lily out of here and I'll send an alert to the rest of the Order. Will you be okay?"

James nods, though in truth he is terrified. Where are the others?

John pats his brother, five years his junior, on the shoulder.

"I'm proud of you, James," he says, very much paternally, "and I love you."

James smiles weakly at his brother.

"I love you too, now go before they strike!"

John lifts Lily up fireman style and runs down the corridor.

"And then there is one," sneers Voldemort from the other side of the protective shield. "This'll be too easy."

He waves his wand and the shield evaporates, leaving only James and his wand opposing thirty some-odd Wizards, most of them fully trained.

"Looks like the end of you, Potter," says a voice from the back that James recognizes as Severus'.

James' blood boils. "She had tried to forgive you, Snape! I told her it was in her best interest to forgive you and what do you do? You go and _kidnap_ her for your deranged master! You anything _but_ love her!"

Severus does not reply as all of the Death Eaters laugh at what he has just said, except for Voldemort.

"Severus merely _wanted_ the Mudblood," he says simply. "It was nothing more than that." He then sneers. "Although after all he's been through, I am not sure how appealing she is now. But I would not know, what say you, Avery and Mulciber?"

The other Death Eaters howl with laughter and James feels his blood boil to the surface at the realization that it was those bastards that raped Lily. They will pay when they get back to school. He tries to push the horrid thought that is causing him so much pain out of his mind so he can concentrate on what is in front of him.

"You really don't know your Death Eaters, do you…" Then remembering the name Professor Dumbledore has so frequently addressed him as: "_Tom?"_

"You dare –"

"Yes, I dare. You have many flaws you fail to acknowledge, Tom. For one, have you ever stopped to consider that not everyone has a black heart like yourself?"

"We don't have time to listen to the _silly_ antics of a _silly_ seventeen-year-old boy. Bellatrix, you –"

"_Stupefy!"_ shrieks another voice.

All the Death Eaters, including Voldemort, turn to see Dorea Potter standing with her wand trained on Bellatrix, whom is now lying unconscious on the ground. Behind Dorea are some other twenty-odd Order members. Then after them arrive Sirius, Peter, Marlene, Margaret, Remus, Alice, Frank, and Jessica. However, in the front, stands Professor Dumbledore facing Voldemort.

"Tom," says Professor Dumbledore cordially.

Voldemort scowls at the use of his former name again and says, "Must I reiterate every time we meet that I am no longer called that name?"

"Yes, you must as I must reiterate the habits old teachers fall into when they see old pupils." Professor Dumbledore's eyes fall on James and he winks at him. Voldemort narrows his eyes dangerously.

"Jessica! What on earth are you doing here?" cries Dorea, interrupting them, upon seeing her daughter. Jessica, instead of shrinking behind Sirius, stands her ground. "Who brought you here?"

"I came along with them to find James," she replies. "I wanted to help rescue Lily too since it was _my_ idea!"

"_Your_ idea?" says Dorea, her eyes practically bugging out of her head.

"As heartwarming as this is," says Voldemort coolly, "we have some unfinished business to attend to."

He shoots a curse at Professor Dumbledore but the leader only deflects it with a flick of his wrist.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to try harder than that, Tom," says Professor Dumbledore smoothly.

_Then,_ and only then, is when all hell breaks loose. Curses and hexes are flying all over the place again, and people are screaming and dueling like there is no tomorrow. At the rate everyone is going, there might not be.

Someone has unStunned Bellatrix as well so now she is in the thick of it all, fighting alongside of her master, learning from him as she goes.

"Where's Lily?" Sirius asks James. Both of them are dueling Antonin Dolohov. He is in their year at Hogwarts; though rarely speaks unless spoken to.

"John was going to bring her back home," replies James, deflecting some unknown curse shot at Sirius.

"Thanks. Wait, what? John who?" asks Sirius puzzled.

"How many John's do you know? John Potter, of course!"

"Honey, John is gone," says Dorea to her son. She is dueling Bellatrix right now, who has an evil grin on her face and is dancing around all of Dorea's curses.

"No he isn't! I saw him! They only staged his death to make us believe he was dead!"

No one replies to him, barely believing him and not wanting to get pseudo hope, only to have it crushed.

"What way did he say he was going to take her out?" asks Sirius, mainly to humour James.

James pauses for a moment and then deflects another curse sent by Dolohov and dodges one aimed by Avery.

"I have no idea…he never said –"

Just then there is a bloodcurdling scream from what sounds like the dining hall. That answers Sirius' question.

"Lily!" shouts James. He runs through the crowd of confused people, ignoring both the Order and the Death Eaters. "Lily! Where are you?"

"Help!" shouts Lily. That is the first time James has ever heard her request help before and he knows that she must be in real, dangerous trouble.

"I'm coming Lily!" yells James, following the sound of her cries. His heart drops when it is confirmed where she is.

She _is_ in the dining hall.

He blasts open the door and it falls down by itself due to the Fiendfyre practically disintegrating it.

"Lily!" he cries. He cannot see her through the steadily rising flames. They are almost completely surrounding the room now and will engulf her if not stopped soon.

James can hear footsteps sounding behind him and he cannot tell and does not care whether it is a friend or an enemy.

"Help!" he hollers. "Lily's trapped in the fire!"

It turns out to be Professor Dumbledore who had ran after him and to that, James is relieved. He will for sure know how to get rid of Fiendfyre.

He is right. The Professor waves his wand in one complicated motion and the Fiendfyre disappears. What remains, however, is horrendous and heart wrenching.

Although Lily is all right, John is not. He has suffered severe burns on his arms and scalp from the fire and is lying on the ground, barely alive.

James runs over to him and Lily. After checking to make sure she is okay, he turns to look at his eldest brother, whom he had believed dead for so long.

"J-James," coughs John.

"John! John, you'll be okay!" exclaims James.

"J-James," repeats John, struggling to form his words. "T-Tell everyone I l-love them and th-that the r-reason V-Voldemort wants to k-kill L-Lily is b-because –"

"Because why?" shouts James, shaking his brother. "Why, John? WHY?" He turns to Professor Dumbledore with tears in his eyes. "Professor! You can fix him! Please, help him!"

Professor Dumbledore looks sadly at the three on the ground and kneels beside James.

"There's nothing I can do James. He's gone."

James turns with tears in his eyes to look at the ghost of his eldest brother. His eyes are wide and the ghost of pain he had been in is still there haunting him.

"N-NO!" screams James, making both Lily and Professor Dumbledore jump in surprise. "NO! HE CAN'T BE DEAD! HE WAS ALIVE! HE WAS NEVER DEAD!"

Lily has tears in his eyes and hesitantly wraps an arm around James and places her head on his shoulder.

"He's better off James," she whispers. "He was in so much pain."

"He wasn't supposed to die!" wails James. "He was going to see his family again! He was going to come home!"

"He got to see you," Lily whispers. "He was so proud of you, James. I only wish you heard more of the way he spoke about you. The pride in his voice –"

"What's going on in here?" asks Sirius, walking in. He gasps at the sight of Lily, James, and Professor Dumbledore crouched down around John. "H-He was really alive?" Professor Dumbledore nods and stands up.

As he does so, the rest of the Order squeezes through the doorframe and enters the room to see the horrific scene.

"What happened to the Death Eaters and Voldemort?" asks James, wiping his eyes hastily.

"They all Disapparated before we could do anything else," sighs Remus. "I think I heard one of them say something about new headquarters since Malfoy will have to repair this place now."

"!"

They jump at the scream that could have broken windows in normal circumstance but in this case, the windows are already broken.

"John, sweetheart," whispers Dorea, kneeling next to her son and playing with his hair. "He was _alive?"_

Charlus, who had arrived at the battle later, is kneeling beside his wife, trying to comfort her. Dorea has completely broken down at the sight of her eldest son and Charlus has tears in his eyes also. Jessica is standing by Sirius who has his arm wrapped around her and she is just looking back and forth between her parents and both of her brothers as if she cannot decide who needs to be comforted the most. She settles for crawling over to where Lily and James are and hugging her brother.

"We should get out of here before the Death Eaters or Voldemort return," says Professor Dumbledore, gathering everyone up. "Alastor, can you lead everyone out to the boundary where they can Disapparate?"

The old Auror nods grimly and beckons everyone to follow him. Professor Dumbledore turns to the remaining Potter family and to Lily, the other Marauders, Alice, Frank, Margaret, and Marlene.

"I suggest you return to your home to make the proper arrangements for John since it has become obvious that whom you buried last year was an imposter. After that, you should all get some rest because we are in for some rough days."

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Severus cannot erase the words Potter had yelled at him back at Lucius' Manor.

"_She had tried to forgive you, Snape...You anything _but_ love her!"_

The words that come from the most insignificant person burn like an iron in the back of his mind. He royally screwed up his relationship with Lily and there is no going back now, no matter how much he wants to. No matter how many times he tries to move on though, he knows in the back of his mind there is no life after Lily.

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A/N: Ahh, I love the battle in this chapter. All I can think about is the Room of Requirement scene in HP7 part 2! Please review!


	32. Flowers and Honesty

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 32 – Flowers and Honesty

The proceedings regarding John Potter's funeral are fairly simple and very straightforward. Although many people will be attending (most of which are surprised seeing as they had been to the original), the Potter's are just going to bury him on the hillside graveyard. It is a short distance from their house and they will have special words spoken from those close to John.

James is glad that for the real and true funeral, Lily will be there next to him. While she has been more reserved and keeps to herself lately, her presence will make him feel the strength he needs, knowing he failed as a brother.

He keeps replaying the events from a couple of days ago in his head and realized how daft he truly was. Why had he not told John the fact that Peter had set Fiendfyre in the dining hall? What is worse, Peter now seems to be on edge, as if scared that James will yell at him because he had been mostly responsible for John dying. James is not angry with Peter though because he knows Peter had done what he thought was best at the time when in retrospect, it was quite thoughtless to perform a curse that you did not know the counter curse to. He had tried to tell Peter this personally and had even gotten the others to tell him that too but Peter still skirts off whenever James enters the room.

Now, James is sitting in the living room one evening, staring absentmindedly into the fire. They are very similar to the flames that had nearly killed Lily and succeeded in snuffing the life out of his brother.

He does not notice when Lily sits down in the chair across from him and follows his line of staring.

"A galleon for your thoughts?" she whispers softly.

Although it had been hushed, he jumps at the sudden noise but calms when he sees who it is.

"It's nothing," replies James. He pauses. "Nothing of importance anyway."

Lily turns to look him in the eye. "You don't have to keep it all in your head, you know."

"Neither do you."

Lily does not respond but resumes looking at the fire. She cannot help but imagine what it would have been like if she had switched roles with John. She cannot help but wonder if her death would have had such an effect on James.

"What if it had been me?" she asks before she can stop herself.

James' eyes practically bulge out of his head at the question and he looks positively horrified.

"Don't talk like that Lily, I'm not even going to dignify that with a response." He looks back into the fire and Lily can see it burning in his eyes. Perhaps it is not the fire in the grate though.

"I don't know who to talk to," she continues.

James looks up again, surprised, obviously not expecting her to reply to him after the last comment.

"My mum?" he suggests meekly. "Your friends?"

"They want me too," says Lily. "All of them," she then clarifies. "I just don't know if I'm ready to talk yet. It's as if talking about it in depth will make in permanent."

James nods, not knowing what to say. "Have you been – erm – checked in St. Mungos?" Lily nods. "And?"

"No internal damage," she says slowly. "And I'm not pregnant since I know that's what you want to know." She shivers at the thought of carrying Avery or Mulciber's child.

James feels relieved and feels as if a weight has been lifted off his shoulders that he had not been aware was there.

"I'm glad you're okay," he says sincerely. "It was horrible and vile what they did to you and _no one_ should have to go through that."

They are silent for a while until he continues:

"My sister was raped."

Lily gasps. "_Jessica?"_

He shakes his head. "My other sister…Jade…she's twenty-years-old now."

Lily looks at him puzzled. "How many siblings do you have?"

"Well, there _was_ John, 23 and there's Jacob, 21; Jade, 20; Jack, 19; Jarred, 16; and Jessica, 16."

Lily stares at him. "Wow. Where do they all live if not near here?"

"Well, Jacob and Jack live in Romania because that's where they work and Jade lives in Albania. She moved away shortly after she was raped. She…she didn't want to talk about it with anyone. Jarred's always missing in action somewhere. He's either in his room or during summer he's usually at a friend's house."

"He really doesn't get on well with the rest of you, does he?"

James shakes his head. "He never has gotten along with us except for John. He was the only one who could get him to cool down when he was angry and could break the shell known as Jarred."

"Has anyone gotten in touch with him about…what happened?" asks Lily warily.

James hesitates. "I believe mum has owled him…I don't know whether or not he's responded. She was supposed to go to his friends' now since obviously no letter can explain what happened…" He trails off, looking absentmindedly back at the fire.

Lily does not say anything else, sensing that if James has anything else to say he will bring it up.

They sit there in silence, both staring into the fire and saying nothing. Yet somehow, by saying absolutely nothing they say _everything._

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The day of the funeral dawns gloomy and rainy, exactly how everyone going is feeling.

Lily wakes to the pitter-patter of rain on her window and looks around confused. She had momentarily forgotten where she was having spent so much time at the Malfoy Manor but it comes back to her almost immediately.

Today is the day of John's funeral and the also the day before she and the others will be heading over to their neighboring flats with all of their belongings.

She gets out of bed and while she is dressing she is thinking about how hard it is to believe everything that has happened over the past week. Between meeting John, getting raped, being rescued, John dying, and now John's funeral…it just throws her mind through a loop. The more she thinks about it the more upset she becomes and that has been mainly why she has kept to herself inside her room. She does not want the others to see her in such a state, even if they are expecting it.

Today will be an exception though. No one will be worrying about her for a change and everyone will be focused on John. Everyone will be crying so she will not seem so out of place if she does as well and that lessens the pressure to some extent. Her emotions have felt like they have gone onto overdrive this past week and she does not know whether to feel betrayed, confused, relieved to be back, or angry.

Betrayed is the emotion that fills seventy five percent of her mind and body. Although Severus had not been directly involved with her being raped, he had helped it happen indirectly and for that she can never forgive him. She does not care how shocked he had looked when he laid eyes on her, he obviously does not care about her the way he and everyone else always claimed.

She walks down the stairs slowly to find no one in the kitchen except for Remus.

"Why are you all alone?" asks Lily, sitting down next to him.

He looks up at her and she nearly recoils in fright. He has dark circles under his eyes, giving him the appearance that he has not had a good nights sleep in a long while. There are also fresh scratch marks on his cheek revealing that last night must have been a full moon.

Remus reminds Lily a lot of Alastor Moody, the Auror that had led everyone out of the dining hall at the Malfoy Manor. He looks battle worn with all these scars and the bags under his eyes make it seem like he never gets a proper nights sleep from paranoia but Lily knows better.

"Everyone else has headed outside already," Remus says in response to her question. He smiles. "Don't look so afraid, I'm not an Inferi or something."

Lily cannot help but smile as well. What she most admires about Remus is his ability not to feel sorry for himself and his lycanthropy. He is always able to make it appear like a joke as opposed to a lifetime disease and Lily has always liked that about him.

"You look awful, Remus," she says honestly.

"Thanks for at least being honest," he grins. He then turns solemn. "How have you been coping?"

Lily shrugs. "As well as expected, I suppose."

He hesitates and then asks, "Do you want to talk about it?" He knows he sounds like a hypocrite though because he never opens up and talks to people so he does not expect Lily to do so either.

She is silent for a moment and then says, "I'm not sure. I'm not one for complaining and I feel like if I start talking about it…"

"You're going to sound like your asking for pity," he finishes for her, and she nods bashfully. "I feel the same way when people ask me to discuss my lycanthropy with someone. I feel like –"

"You're burdening them." Remus nods and Lily folds her hands on her lap.

"I feel dirty Remus," she confesses, and he looks at her sadly. "There are moments when – I feel like I never want to be touched or looked at again…but then others when I want to be able to be held by James and not be to tense or cringe when he tries to hug me. I can see the pain in his eyes over the fact that I don't want him to even hold my hand and it kills me to know that I'm only adding to his pain."

"James understands you need time to heal Lily," Remus whispers softly. "If anything, he's angry at the bastards who did _it_ to you."

"He's not going to do anything rash, is he?" she asks anxiously.

"Please, when does he do anything rash?" Remus teases, hoping to assuage her worry. When it is obvious that it only increases he says, "I'll try and talk to him for you."

Lily smiles at him and they both get up. She walks over to him and after hesitating for a moment, wraps her arms around his torso. He gently puts his around her shoulders and they just stand there hugging. For the two of them, it is a moment they both need to know that they have not lost a friend in the war.

When they pull apart Lily is shocked to see that Remus has tears in his eyes. She is fairly certain that she has never seen him cry before. Realizing this, he looks out the window at where people are beginning to gather.

"It seems as though we are losing more and more people to the war," he whispers. "He wasn't supposed to die. He was supposed to live a long life."

"Things often don't happen the way they ought to Remus," sighs Lily. "Quite frequently they do the exact opposite because life just isn't fair."

Remus turns to look at her. "You always were the most insightful and intuitive of people I met at Hogwarts," he says. "You know, besides Dumbledore."

Lily smiles. "Well thanks, that means a lot coming from you. We'd better get outside though before people wonder where we are."

Remus nods and they both walk out together hand-in-hand.

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**James POV: 5 hours later**

Everything seems too unreal from the moment I woke up to when I got outside on the hill. Watching John's body lower into the ground was like a slow motion horror movie. I could not press pause or stop and I could not hit the rewind button to undo the mistakes that I had made.

The worst part of the funeral though is the fact that he died and it is someone on his side that killed him. Not Voldemort.

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**Sirius POV: 5 hours later**

Have you ever thought that if you can do something differently, you would start by saying that you love someone? I could have so easily lost Marlene that day at the Malfoy Manor and I have not told her how I feel.

Let me rephrase. It would have not have been doing the simple by saying that I love her but it would have been stating what I hope is obvious. I have never cared for anyone so deeply in my whole life like I care for her. Although, that will not be saying much considering the fact that I have not had anyone to love or appreciate.

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**Regular POV: Regular time (5 hours prior)**

Lily and Remus arrive just in time to see John one last time. After the casket is closed, they watch as he is lowered into the ground until it comes to a complete stop and lands with a soft thud.

Lily looks at Remus and he nods, letting go of her hand. She walks over to James as he walks to Margaret. The two of them watched them come down to join the rest of them, glad that they could seek comfort within each other.

"Would anyone like to say a few words before we go back inside?" asks Dorea shakily.

Lily looks around and sees a bunch of unfamiliar faces but definitely similar to James'. They must be his siblings that he was telling her about the other night.

"I'd like to talk," says someone from next to her. She turns to see James walking to the center of the queue.

He takes a piece of paper out of his pocket shakily and glances at it before ripping it into a bunch of pieces and letting them slowly drop to the ground. He clears his throat before speaking.

"John was my brother," he says as if he sounds uncertain about it. "He was more than my brother though…he was like a best friend to me."

"When I was little…John brought me out flying for the first time. He said that he would teach me how to be a Chaser and that he'd make sure that I'd make the House team once I got to Hogwarts. He also said that he would come to my first game to see how I did."

"So I made the team in my second year and our first game was the game that John came to. That was back when I was still a Seeker and was the game where I dived for the Snitch and I nearly broke my neck in the process."

"After the game I walked up to John and he had tears in his eyes. He promised to take me out that Christmas for a celebratory drink in Hogsmeade – butterbeer, of course." He winks at Dorea who smiles slightly. "We had gone just the two of us and hung out in the Hogshead with Aberforth. That is probably one of the two best days of my life." He looks directly at Lily and she knows they are both thinking of the day she finally said yes.

"John was so much more to me than a brother. He was a person that I could turn to when I was upset or needed advise in certain situations." He looks pointedly again at Lily when he says this and she squirms slightly. She, however, does not break contact.

"The fact that John died is horrible, especially because it was through an act of heroism and he didn't deserve to die. The worst part though was that he was nowhere near ready to leave us and there are so many people he never graced with his presence. Those people will miss out on his generosity and any child and wife of his would have been a lucky one. T-Thank you."

He walks back shakily to Lily's side and she puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He looks down at her and she gives him a weak, albeit reassuring smile.

"Would anyone else like to say anything?" asks Dorea.

"I would," says Lily slowly. She lets go of his shoulder and walks to the center where James had stood a moment ago.

"I didn't know John for long before he died," she begins. "In fact, I only knew him for a few days and those days were spent in the dungeon of the Malfoy Manor." There are several collective gasps but Lily continues on. "If John hadn't been there…I probably would have lost my sanity. They…they tortured me – us. They did terrible things…it was horrible there but he kept talking and tried to take my mind off of it. He had a certain charisma about him that helped distract you from the t-terrible circumstances."

James' hands clench from inside of his pockets. Neither of them should have been in that hellhole but he is glad that they had been there for each other.

"John had volunteered to take me back here when everyone else was fighting…only the room we went into had been cursed with Fiendfyre to neither of ours knowledge."

"I'm convinced it was a freak accident that I came out alive and he didn't," continues Lily, her voice cracking. She looks down at the casket and a single teardrop falls into the hole. "I-I don't k-know h-how or why that Fiendfyre was there b-but it w-was and h-he d-didn't deserve to d-die."

Kneeling down, she waves her wand and conjures white petals. She arranges them on his casket to form the word "hero". She wipes her eyes and walks back to where James and some other boy are standing. James wraps his arm around her shoulder the pair of them watch as a few more family members and friends speak. Afterwards, they continue watching as Charlus waves his wand and puts the dirt over the grave. Everyone drops the flowers they had been given to them on top of the grave mound and walks back to the Potter Manor for supper.

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A/N: I was going to make this chapter extended but I didn't feel like it would be right so I kept it the same with some minor altercations. Thanks, and please review!


	33. Water Guns and Honour

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 33 – Water Guns and Honour

The aura in the Potter Manor is that of tense and inexpressibly sad. Hardly anyone speaks at dinner and Lily hates knowing that if she had been in better shape, John would not have needed to take her out an alternate route and then he would have never died and would be sitting here with his family. The guilt continues to eat her alive and although James continually tries to remind her that she is not to blame, she still feels bad that he died and she came out with no long-lasting injuries.

It is several days after the funeral that the tense silence abruptly changes to fury. As James had told her that evening by the fireplace, Dorea had indeed owled Jarred about the funeral. As it is, he did not believe her at first but consented to coming home and when he did see John's body, he disappeared into his room for some time, not coming out for meals or to go to the loo. He also did not come to the funeral, something that had shocked the rest of the family, but not so much Lily. She has dealt with a sister very much like Jarred for most of her life and it does not faze her.

She is now sitting in the Potter garden, where she had been many months ago right before she admitted her true feelings unknowingly to James. She has one of the "Lily flowers" in her hand and is smiling down at it. It is one of the most beautiful flowers she has ever seen.

She hears the cracking of a twig and draws her wand immediately. When she gets a closer look though she sees it is only Jarred, who also has his wand drawn.

"Oh, it's _you_," he says. Lily does not miss the nastiness in his voice and although it surprises her, is so used to having people address her in such a way. He then notices the flower in her hand. "What's that?"

"A flower," she says simply. "James made it for me."

Jarred snorts derisively. "Naturally."

Lily narrows her eyes slightly. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"James has been hung up over you for years, of course he would make a flower for you, especially considering your name. Personally, I don't know what he sees in you but my _older brother_ and I have never really seen 'eye-to-eye'." The way he says his older brother is as though he is talking about the plague.

Lily waves her hand and the flower goes back onto the bush where she took it from. She has always been particularly good at wandless magic since she was young. As she studied more though, it proved more difficult but for some reason she has always been able to control the movement of flowers.

After the flower reattaches itself to the bush, she turns back to Jarred and stands up, her arms now crossed. Even though he is only a fourth year, he is taller than her, nearly James' height. This does not matter though because she stands her ground.

"You seem to have a real problem with me, Jarred," she states plainly. "Would you care to tell me what that is?" She has a bad feeling though that she knows.

"You're the reason my brother is dead," he says bluntly, and Lily cringes. "The only reason he was burned to death was because _you_ went and got yourself raped, you disgusting little slut –"

Before he can finish off or Lily can say anything in response, he is blasted off his feet and flies a good twenty feet. He lands with a sickening crunch on the ground and from the sounds of it, his wrist is broken.

Lily turns to look for the caster of the spell and sees it is none other than James. He looks livid, an emotion Lily should be feeling, but she is too shocked. How _dare_ he call her a slut? While she may blame herself for John's death, she in no way "went and got herself raped". It is a horrible thing to say!

"You take that back you foul git," James growls, his wand still trained on Jarred who is getting up. The latter has an ugly scowl on his face that could possibly be due to his brother arriving or the fact that he is losing feeling in his wrist.

"And what if I say no?" snaps Jarred.

"Then I'll rearrange your face. Merlin knows you need it."

"James, don't," warns Lily. The last thing she wants is him fighting with his own brother. This is exactly what Voldemort wants. If they are united, they can fight him but divided, they stand no chance and will indefinitely fall.

"That bastard just insulted you in the worst possible way Lily," James says, his eyes flashing angrily. "At least let him pay –"

"_No_," she says adamantly. "I don't give a damn what he thinks about me. I know John's death is my fault – no, James, don't interrupt me. I _know_ I hold partial responsibility for him dying but I sure as hell also know that I never asked to get raped." She glares at Jarred as she says this and he gives her a dirty look, clearly blinded by anger and grief for his late brother.

Her face softens at the sight of the younger boy. He is so obviously hurting right now and he has no one to trust him, the only person he has ever trusted is gone. If she were not so disgusted with what he said to her she would feel even more sorry for him but as it is, her sympathy is strained.

Going against her better judgment, she walks up to him hesitantly and puts a hand on his shoulder. She feels him tense up and ignores the cold, hard stare he is giving her.

"I _know_ what it's like to have a sibling hate my guts for no good reason and that's why you're not fazing me," she says. He opens his mouth to retort but she cuts him off. "You _don't_ have a good reason for hating James. I know it's because of your inheritance from your grandmother, Jarred, and it's selfish. You're just like my older sister in that sense."

"How would you know about that?" he sneers but his looks angry. "Is _he_ going around complaining about it?"

"I wouldn't go mouthing off when his wand is still out and you're not legally allowed to fight back," Lily advises, and he closes his mouth annoyed. "Mind you, it's no skin off my back if you get in trouble with the Ministry but I would never wish that upon your family. They care about you, Jarred whether you care to admit it or like it or not. Why don't you try and return the feelings?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Oh, wouldn't I? Like I said, I do have a sister who acts the same way as you do to James, but to me and a day doesn't go by when I don't wish I could go back in do something, anything, different to prevent her from not speaking to me."

Jarred is silent and she knows that she has his attention now.

"It's what he wants Jarred," she whispers, and she briefly wonders if James is still behind her. Most likely since Jarred has not dared to speak out again. "Voldemort is hoping that we all fight amongst ourselves because we are no threat to him if we all hate each other. Haven't you ever heard of the saying 'strength in numbers'? That's what we have to do here. If you're not going to do it for the sake of the rest of your family, do it for John. He wouldn't want you to be on your own brooding over his death. He'd want you to be out there, fighting with the rest of your family against the bastard that locked him up for so many years."

For a second, Lily thinks she got through to him. His usual, steely eyes soften at the mention of his late brother but then revert back to their usual state. Without another word, he pushes her hand off of his shoulder and walks past her and his brother without another word.

Lily turns around to face James who is looking at her with a mixture of irritation and wonder.

"What?" she asks self-consciously, and he laughs, much to her surprise.

"You're one of a kind Lily Evans," is all he says. "You are definitely one of a kind."

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Summer seems to drag after the incident in the garden and it is a first that all of those in the Potter Manor want to return to school. It is not that they want to return to the fresh overload of seventh year work but just to be in a place with familiar people and even more powerful enchantments surrounding them will be a comfort. Plus, it always helps to have your Headmaster be the only person Voldemort fears.

It is the Saturday before the Monday that they will have to leave to return when Lily and her friends are sitting outside of the Potter Manor sun bathing.

"This is nice," says Alice, breaking the relaxed silence. "You know, just sitting here and relaxing. We haven't had a girls day in a while."

Lily nods. "I can't remember the last time I actually wore a bathing suit because I wanted to," she grins.

Marlene raises an eyebrow. "You wore one because you _didn't_ want to?"

Lily grins sheepishly. "Alice dared me to."

"You went along with it!"

"Yeah…and I don't think Peter's been the same since."

They fall into a comfortable silence again until Lily's eyes snap open.

"Did you hear that?" she asks hurriedly. Alice, Margaret, and Marlene look around anxiously.

"No…" says Margaret slowly.

"It was probably just the leaves Lily," reasons Marlene soothingly. "Just try and relax. You've been awfully jumpy lately."

"With good reason."

"All the more reason to relax," says Alice. "You need to get your mind off of what happened at the Malfoy Manor."

"If only it was that easy," sighs Lily.

"You know we're up to talking whenever you're ready," says Margaret unnecessarily.

Lily nods and they fall into an uneasy silence until…

SPLASH!

The girls shriek as they are drenched from head-to-toe in water.

"SIRIUS!" bellows Lily.

Sirius resurfaces from the bottom of the Potter's pool grinning. His shaggy hair is now matted down and his eyes are sparkling in that mischievous way that only he can get away with.

"Top of the morning!" he greets cheerfully.

"Sirius, you great prat," sighs Marlene but she is grinning all the same. "We had finally managed to get Lily relaxed and you had to go and ruin it?"

"Damn straight! She needs a jolt to get her blood boiling again! I can't even remember the last time she yelled at me for something!"

Lily thinks for a moment. "Come to think of it…_neither can I!_ This isn't right! Becoming friends with you Marauders has sucked the hatred towards you guys right out of me."

"Yes, being friends with someone does tend to do that," says Sirius while practicing his backstroke. "So are you coming in or not?"

The girls all exchange a look.

"No," they all say in unison.

Sirius looks at them incredulously. "Why would you put on a bikini – very hot ones, I might add – and then _not_ go in the pool?"

"Firstly, I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear you using the adjective 'hot' in relation to _me_ mostly because I'm dating your best mate," begins Lily slowly. "And secondly, girls don't need to go swimming just because they put on a bathing suit. In fact, judging by our reaction, we weren't going to any time soon."

Sirius rolls his eyes and then grins.

Suddenly, Lily feels strong arms wrapping around her and screams in fear. Sirius' grin fades slightly.

"Relax, it's only me," James whispers into her ear.

She relaxes but only slightly and ignores the girls' concerned looks.

"Sorry," she says embarrassed. Why does she have to keep having these episodes?

"Don't apologize," says James sincerely. He then puts on a mock thoughtful look. "_Although_ –"

"I don't like where this is going…"

"You could make it up to me by getting into the pool!"

Lily rolls her eyes. "Is that all? That's _all_ you want?" She has to admit though that she is glad he did not say she could repay him with sex, even as a joke, because she is in no way ready to hop back into bed with anyone any time soon.

She does not have to worry about that from James though. Sirius, however, is a different.

"Oh, well I'm sure he wants _other_ things," begins Sirius.

"SIRIUS!" James barks, and Sirius raises his hands apologetically and retreats to the other end of the pool. "You'll come in, won't you Marley?" he cries.

Marlene glares playfully at him. "I've told you what must have been a gazillion times _NOT_ to call me that!"

"And this is now the gazillionth and first time that I haven't listened to you! We make such a pair!"

"More like the pair from hell," says Peter.

"Come on Lils, it can't hurt to get a little wet," says James. Sirius snorts and James glares at him.

"Padfoot, stop being such a pervert," sighs Remus. The two of them have been on better terms lately and say more than a few words to each other each day. Although Remus was reluctant to forgive Sirius he recognizes the importance of friendship in times like these and is trying to meet Sirius half way.

"If I'm not who will be?"

"No one, that's exactly the point," says Alice exasperatedly. She moves over to allow Frank some room on her lawn chair.

"Fine, I guess if you don't want to get in we can't _force_ you," says James melodramatically.

"_Thank_ you," says Lily relieved. All she wants to do is tan today. She has been in the Potter's pool enough for the summer and she does not need to go in today.

James makes to turn around and when he thinks she is not looking, spins around to push her in but she is ready. She jumps out of the way and James goes flailing into the pool. The others roar with laughter and Lily has a triumphant smirk on her face.

James resurfaces and spits the water out of his mouth. His hair is matted down in such a way that his bangs are just above his eyes, giving him a certain sex appeal.

"You win that round Evans," he says, growling, and she rolls her eyes.

"I _always_ win Pot –" she begins but this time he manages to catch her off guard. He grabs her from around the ankles, which she was foolish enough to have at the edge of the pool, and pulls her in.

"AAARRRRGHHH!" shouts Lily as she flops into the water. Everyone laughs, as she emerges sopping wet and livid.

"James Potter!" she shrieks. She smacks him upside the head and he whimpers.

The others follow him in but instead slide down the slide that Charlus had insisted on buying from a Muggle shop in London.

SPLASH!

Lily shrieks with laughter as everyone comes piling down the slide and on top of Sirius who remains crushed under the water. He resurfaces, gasping for breath but laughing all the same.

"You'll rue this day Evans," James coughs from behind her. She raises an eyebrow but her eyes widen when he takes a fully loaded water gun out of his pocket. "Say hello to my little friend!"

She shrieks and dives under water and swims away from him. When she resurfaces she shrieks again upon seeing him still next to her.

"Thought you could escape me, hmm?" he grins down at her.

"You wouldn't dare," says Lily, holding her ground.

"Why's that?"

"Because a Bat Bogey hex is more powerful than a _water gun_." He cringes.

"True. However, it does _help_ to _have_ a wand in the first place." Lily looks around and finds her wand is nowhere to be found. The knowledge of that sends her back to her time spent in the Malfoy Manor and how she was rendered so defenseless without it. This is not the Malfoy Manor though and James will not hurt her so she forces herself to take a deep, calming breath.

"Where'd you put my wand?" she asks with forced calmness. James pulls it out of his back pocket and twirls it like a baton.

"Not bad, eh?" he grins.

She shrugs. "You _are_ a Marauder after all."

"That's true." He pauses. "You would have been a great addition to our group when we started off."

Lily is taken aback briefly but recovers almost immediately.

"I've told you a bunch of times already; I work alone."

James shrugs. "Five heads are better than four. Especially when the fifth is probably the cleverest."

Lily smiles. "I'm not sure that's quite right."

"Most things aren't."

There is a pause where neither of them say or do anything but stare at each other. James has an overwhelming urge to kiss her then and there but is afraid that he is overstepping her comfort level, which has been knocked back several pegs. He will never know though what he missed because…

"OI, LOVERS! COME JOIN THE REST OF US!" shouts Sirius before he ducks from Peter's water pistol.

James rolls his eyes and swims under the water to attack Sirius, leaving Lily staring after him thoughtfully. She could tell that he had wanted to kiss her just a moment of go but he had held back for _her_. He is honestly the most thoughtful person she has grown to love and smiles to herself before swimming after him.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The excitement in the pool was just what the Marauders, Frank, and the girls needed to remind them that they are still young. It is nice to have those carefree moments when the only choice you have to make is what colour water gun you want.

Now that they are each back in their flats though, it easily reminds them of how much time has passed. However, it is Sunday morning that truly brings them back to reality about their final year of Hogwarts approaching.

"Have you guys finished packing yet?" asks Alice.

Lily looks up from a magazine of Marlene's.

"Are you _really_ asking me that?" she asks incredulously.

Alice laughs. "Never mind. Are _you_ lot?"

Margaret snorts, giving them the only answer they need and Marlene nods. "I finished last night. It's so much easier now that I can magic it all in."

"Yet somehow you guys wait until the last minute when we leave school," sighs Lily, returning to her magazine.

The other three laugh until they hear a…

Tap! Tap!

"What's that?" asks Lily, looking up from her magazine again.

The others look up too and it is Marlene who finds the source of the tapping.

"It's an owl," she says confused.

"That's right…but it's kind of late to _just_ be getting our book lists isn't it?" says Lily confused.

"They probably were intercepted first and searched through," replies Alice. For some reason she sounds irritable by this but the other three do not press the matter.

Lily crawls over to the end of her bed and opens the window to let the owl in. It flies in and lands on Margaret's shoulder.

"Yep, it's the Hogwarts letters for the four of us," Margaret confirms. She tosses the letters to Lily, Marlene, and Alice and the four girls tear open their individual letters.

"Not much to buy this year," comments Alice. "The only new book we're going to need is for Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"That's not surprising though since we have a new teacher each year," adds Marlene. "I wonder who it'll be this time. Thank Merlin Clemons will be gone. Does anyone know what happened to him?" The others shrug.

"Rumour has it he ran off with a wrench half his age but who cares?" says Margaret, and the others nod in agreement.

They look over to Lily, who has not said anything for the past couple of minutes, which is very unlike her.

"What's up, Lily?" asks Alice worried. Lily looks up upon being addressed with a big grin on her face.

"I'M HEAD GIRL!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Kind of late to _just_ be getting our book lists, isn't it?" says James as an owl flies into their flat next door.

"The Ministry of Magic has been intercepting more and more owls lately," explains Remus. "They won't let any go through without doing a thorough examination." The envelopes do indeed look as if they have been opened and resealed messily.

"Yours looks heavier than usual, Prongs," observes Peter.

James weighs his letter in his hand and finds Peter to be right. Confused, he tears open the envelope and out falls a circular object. He picks it up from the ground and his eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.

"I'm…H-Head Boy?" gasps James shocked.

The other four stare at him as though he is mental.

"What are you on about, Prongs?" asks Sirius slowly.

"I. Am. Head. Boy," repeats James, as though he is explaining this to an uncomprehending five-year-old. He hands the pin to Sirius as if to give him evidence.

Sirius stares at the pin for five whole seconds before looking up at James.

"Dumbledore's off his rocker," he says bluntly. "How can he make a _Marauder_ Head Boy?"

"I don't know but I was certain it would be Moony," replies James, looking at the tired young man.

Remus shrugs. "It's probably because of me being a werewolf and all. A Head Boy needs to be constantly available and with me being out of commission a couple days a month, it would make taking the job difficult."

"Then why not Frank or _anyone_ else?" asks James. "Why _me_, of all people?"

Sirius shrugs. "I wonder who the Head Girl will be…" James gives him a look.

"Let's go over to the girls' flat."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

There is a pop and the girls come running out of Lily's bedroom. They run over to hug their respective boyfriends and then look at them in surprise.

"What are you guys doing here so late?" asks Marlene confused. She then notices the pin in James' hand. "What's that in your hand?"

James beams but does not respond and turns to Lily, scrutinizing her.

"You're head girl," he says proudly. She grins and nods enthusiastically.

"Do you know who's -?" she begins but then stops. She then notices what James has in his hand. "Is that -?"

"A Head Boy pin? Yeah," grins James. He looks down at her hand and his grin gets wider. "Looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other this year."

Lily smiles weakly. It is not that she does not want to spend time with James…it is the _thought_ of spending so much time with James that scares her. Now that they are both Heads, they will basically be spending every waking moment together and it will leave little time to be with their other friends.

_That can have its benefits though_, she reasons.

"Are you okay, Lily?" asks Remus, breaking her out of her thoughts. "You look a little nauseous."

"Oh, no, no, I'm fine," she says a little too quickly. "I'm going to make sure I didn't forget anything at your place, James," she lies quickly. "You lot stay here, I'll be back in a little while." She runs out of the room before anyone else can say anything.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Voldemort sits in his lair, tapping his fingers irritably. One prisoner dead…another has escaped. He should have handled the Mudblood sooner and made a clean job of it.

He cannot truly remember the original reason that he had gone hunting after her except that she is a threat and Lord Voldemort's threats do not usually last long.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

In truth, after they all went to get their school supplies, Lily does go to the Potter Mansion to check on whether she had left anything behind, but she only does so to get away from the others. She needs time to absorb the fact that James is now Head Boy! She thought for sure it would be Remus or at least Frank. Those would have been the logical choices.

It is not that James is _irresponsible_; in fact he has proved that this past year. However, she cannot get past the ever-looming fact that he _is_ a Marauder. Remus is a Marauder too but no one honestly knows why. He is by far the tamest of them all and makes sure the others do not blow up the school in plotting their pranks. She had thought that Remus becoming a Prefect had been the end of the Marauders leading roles in the school.

She has packed and repacked her trunk several times already just to keep her mind occupied, has reviewed all of her summer notes, and placed her Head Girl pin in several different locations. It is only when Marlene snaps at her to sit down that she obliges and sticks the pin of authority in a pair of her socks.

"I swear Lily, the way you're acting is starting to make me worry," grins Alice. "You seem like a girl who's finally realized that she's falling head over heels for this guy and – oh! – _now_ they have to work together on a school project!"

Lily scowls at her. "If I was not going out with 'said guy' and the school project lasts for a year, then you would be correct."

"Why are you so nervous about working with James then?" asks Margaret baffled. "It's not like your hiding your feelings from him anymore."

Lily looks at her friend, her head cocked to the right.

"You know, you're right but I suppose it's the principle of the matter. Things have just been different since I got back from the Malfoy Manor and…"

"You're not worried that James is going to pressure you into having sex again, are you?"

"No, of course not! I know James would never do that." The others look relieved upon hearing her say this. "I just feel…so _sad_ when I realize how much he wants to be able to touch me and not have me cringe."

Marlene looks at her sympathetically.

"You'll heal Lily, you just need time," she whispers comfortingly and it works. "No one expects you to land firm on your feet straight after going through such an ordeal."

Lily nods numbly and then says:

"Mar, could you do me a favour?"

"Sure, anything."

Lily bites her lip. "Could you talk to Sirius and get him to stop making all the sexual innuendos about me and James? James looks about ready to snap his neck and it's only making things worse." Marlene nods understandingly.

"I'll talk to him and tell him to lay off." Lily does a backwards somersault off the couch and hugs her.

"I'm going to go for a walk," Lily says. "I could use some fresh air."

"We're coming too," says Alice earnestly. "We've decided that we're no longer allowing you to go anywhere alone. That actually goes for all of us."

"This isn't primary school. I don't need to 'swim with a buddy'," says Lily irritably. "I'm perfectly capable of taking _a walk_ on my own."

Margaret raises an eyebrow. "Really? Kind of like you were perfectly capable to step up onto the roof of this place? In case you've forgotten, you've been kidnapped several times now and it's inflicted scars in more ways than none on you!"

Lily winces and looks at the still visible scars on her arms.

"Fine. You can come with me if it'll make you feel better," sighs Lily. She is about to walk out of the flat when the Marauders and Frank Apparate in.

"Couldn't help but overhear your conversation," says James easily. "We thought it'd be an appropriate time to tell you that it's far too dangerous for you four to go wandering around aimlessly."

"Oh please, by all means, feel free to come with us," says Lily vexed. "I only wanted to clear my head but honestly, the more the merrier!"

"Here's an idea. Why don't we just spend our time arranging you lot little garden roof?" suggests Remus.

Everyone turns to look at him in surprise.

"That's actually a really good idea," says Lily. "When I was looking up there that day I noticed there are definite possibilities for it."

The others nod in agreement and follow Lily up to the roof of the flat.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Come on guys, the train's leaving in ten minutes," says Lily anxiously.

"Remind me again why we got here so early this year?" Sirius whispers to Remus as they all bustled through Kings Cross station.

"Because we had to pick up Jarred and Jessica and Lily would have murdered you if you took any longer organizing your hair products."

"I resent that!"

"You shouldn't! We might miss the train thanks to you and I need to be in the Prefects cabin!"

"Lucky you," mutters James to Remus.

Remus chuckles. "I might say the same to you, my friend."

James winces and continues to follow Lily, only keeping her in sight by the way her red hair hits the sunlight. It is like his guiding light.

He is snapped out of his daze when Lily stops short and he nearly collides with her. She cannot help but grin as he staggers into a standing position and she turns to face the rest.

"I'll go first?" she says uncertainly. The others nod and she takes a deep breath before running straight towards the solid wall. James' first instinct is to grab her arm to tell her she is mental for running at a solid looking brick wall but watches her go numbly, knowing that she does not need protecting and will not accept it even if she does.

He watches as one-by-one the others run at the platform and disappear until it is his turn to go.

He looks once more at the train station he has grown to know over the past six years, knowing this will be his last time returning in the fall as a Hogwarts student. He sighs, a feeling of extreme nostalgia setting in, and runs towards the platform after Sirius, as if playing a game of tag.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

As the red train takes off for what must have been the millionth time, the nine seventh years make their way down the corridor to the Marauder compartment.

"Remember when you wanted to avoid this place at all costs, Lily?" grins Alice.

Lily flushes scarlet and ignores James' questioning look.

They all walk into the compartment and close the glass door behind them. Once they are settled and her blush has died down, Lily turns to James.

"We should probably head to the Prefects compartment," she says. "We need to hand out the time tables and introduce ourselves to the Prefects as a whole."

James nods and when Lily leaves mutters, "goody" under his breath to Sirius. Sirius snorts and salutes James, much to James' vexation, as he walks out.

"How long exactly is it going to take to meet with them?" asks James.

Lily shoots him a sideways glance. "Please tell me that you're going to take this position seriously!"

James raises an eyebrow innocently. "What on earth make it seem that I won't, Lilyflower?"

"Please don't call me that," sighs Lily. "And you know exactly what I'm talking about!"

"She said please!" gasps James, and Lily cannot help but smile slightly. She then sobers and turns to face him.

"I'm serious James, _please_ don't flout your responsibilities. You're the person that the younger students look to as a role model."

James is silent, absorbing what she just said and does not say anything.

Suddenly feeling very self-conscious, Lily says, "We'd better keep moving or we'll be late for the meeting."

James, sensing that she is uncomfortable, agrees, albeit slightly reluctant in doing so. They walk in silence for the remaining few seconds and when they open the Prefect's compartment, they find it empty.

"They're not due for another three minutes anyway," says James, checking his watch. He mainly does this to put his eyes anywhere else other than on Lily.

Relieved by this, Lily busies herself with arranging the papers she is going to hand out to each of the Prefects.

The door slides open and in walks Remus and a few seconds after him, walks in Severus.

"_Potter?"_ he sneers. "_You're_ the new Head Boy? Dumbledore's finally gone off his rocker!"

"Funny, it's only funny when Sirius says it," retorts James. "Why don't you sit down Snape and keep your mouth shut?"

Severus glares at him. "And what if I say no?"

"Then _I_ will personally give you a detention and take ten points from Slytherin for disobeying your superior," says Lily, standing up.

"Lily, I –" begins Severus.

"I have nothing more to say to you, Severus," she says simply. "Now sit. Down."

He sits down without another word and the four of them sit in a tense silence until the rest of the Prefects wander in.

"Please take your seats everyone," instructs Lily, standing up again.

"Dumbledore made a _Mudblood_ Head Girl?" sneers Alecto Carrow.

"Thirty points from Slytherin for insulting the Head Girl!" roars James.

"The term hasn't even started yet!" shouts Alecto angrily.

"Then I guess Slytherin will be starting with negative House points," says James casually.

"You can't do that! We haven't even gotten to school yet, Potter, and you've already abused your Head privileges!"

"Want to try me? I can always talk to Professor McGonagall and see if a detention could piggyback those lost House points."

Alecto scowls and sits down with her arms crossed irritably.

"Right, now that that's settled we can begin," says Lily nervously as the last stragglers hurry in. "As you know, I'm Lily Evans from Gryffindor and this is James Potter, also from Gryffindor."

"Lily, our magnificent new Head Girl, has already made laminated copies of our patrol schedules," interrupts James, taking Lily by surprise. "This year the patrols are going to be longer and you're going to be required to stay with the other Prefect in your year and House. There will also be teachers and ghosts roaming the corridors, making sure everything is status quo."

"You'll also be expected to keep up with your work, which will steadily increase this year, along with keeping on top of your duties." There is a collective groan from everyone, not including Remus who just sits, politely listening to Lily. "Furthermore –"

The door then opens to reveal the last person both Lily or James want to see.

"What are you doing here, Harris?" asks James irritably, before Lily can say the same thing.

"Oh, didn't you know that now that _she's_ – _she motions to Lily_ – Head Girl that means a vacancy is open for a Gryffindor Prefect?"

James looks at Lily who shrugs and whispers, "When I saw M. Harris I assumed that it was Matthew Harris in Hufflepuff."

James holds back from groaning and rolls his eyes as Miranda struts to the empty seat next to Remus. James snorts at Remus' face and Miranda shoots both of them a dirty look and flips her hair over her shoulder.

"_Anyway_," continues Lily, once more. "You'll be taking turns patrolling the corridors during the train ride up here and when we ride back at the end of the year –"

"How was the rest of your summer – Evans?" sneers Alecto, careful not to call her Mudblood.

Lily flushes scarlet red and James and Remus' eyes narrow dangerously. They know the game she is playing.

"It was brilliant," Lily says coldly, recovering quickly. She just hopes that Alecto will not be so cruel to mention how she was in the Malfoy Manor. The Order wants that specifically hushed up and if it is said here, in a matter of hours the entire student body will know.

Alecto looks at her with a knowing smirk on her lips and Lily's heart sinks. She is going to…

"Have you spoken to my brother or Mulciber lately?" she smirks.

Lily's eyes begin to itch and she looks down at her lap so she will not have to look at Alecto's condescending face. The others in the compartment look confused, especially Miranda, with the exception of James and Remus who look livid.

"Shut your mouth Carrow," growls James but she ignores him.

"What? Are you afraid of everyone knowing?" jeers Alecto, and Lily looks up alarmed.

"Don't –" chokes Lily.

"Alecto," warns Remus.

"I would have thought you'd be proud for people to know that you had the pleasure of getting with not one but –"

"Alecto –" tries Severus but there is no stopping her.

" – _two_ Purebloods at the Malfoy Manor. I suppose you don't want everyone to know how incorporative you were though…"

Everyone gasps, realization hitting them, and there is a bright flash of white light, which results in Alecto on the ground, clutching her face in pain.

Lily turns with burning eyes to see James standing next to her, his wand out and breathing heavily. She had not even been aware that he had gotten up.

"What does she mean you _got_ with two Purebloods?" asks Miranda shocked. "You cheated on James?" her eyes are sparkling angrily.

It is then that Lily explodes, the anger and bitterness that she has been feeling for weeks finally spilling out.

"NO YOU DAFT DIMBO, I DID _NOT_ CHEAT ON HIM. I WAS KIDNAPPED AND _RAPED!"_

There is complete silence, not just in their compartment but throughout the entire train. No one is stirring but everyone is looking at Lily in shock. Severus looks beside himself with grief as he watches the girl he loves dart out of the compartment and scowls when he notices James looking concerned also.

"Remus, you and Miranda will have the first shift patrolling the corridors," he says hurriedly. Remus nods and if he is not happy with the arrangement he does not show it. His concern for Lily fills his face instead. "The rest of you are dismissed." Everyone stands up abruptly and James hands them the schedules Lily has left on her seat as they go, glaring specifically at Alecto and Miranda, the former now sporting some ugly looking boils.

Once they are all gone, James dashes out of the compartment and ignores the looks people are giving him from inside their carriages.

"James, where's Lily?" Alice asks anxiously. "We could hear what happened all the way from the back of the train."

James shakes her head. "I don't know but I'm on it." He moves around her and ends up outside of the bathroom. Hesitating slightly, he raps on the door.

"It's occupied," says a small voice from within. James recognizes it as Lily's immediately.

"Lily, I hope to Merlin you're covered up because I'm coming in," he warns. He opens the door and slips in, locking it behind him.

It is now that he is in there that he realizes how small the stall is. It is clearly not meant for two people and as he looks down at Lily, who is sitting on the toilet with the lid down, he realizes how close they are.

"Lily," he says softly, awkwardly crouching down so he is eyelevel with her. He tries to stroke her hair but her head snaps up immediately, as if expecting to be attacked. Her eyes soften though when she realizes what he was going to do and she buries her face in her palms again.

"What's wrong with me, James?" she whispers. "I just exploded and now the entire castle will know that I was taken prisoner at the Malfoy Manor and…r-raped."

James sighs and this time when he reaches out to stroke her hair, she allows him but he feels her become tense. He continues to stroke it in hopes that it will calm her a bit and it does eventually. Under his touch, she feels weak.

"You can't honestly blame yourself for that Lily," he whispers. "Carrow and Harris shouldn't have provoked you like that, the former _knowing_ how much pain you are in. I'm not defending Harris in any way, shape, or form but she at least had the excuse that she did not knowingly provoke you."

Lily looks up, her emerald eyes swimming with tears and James' heartbreaks when he sees them in so much pain. He misses the usual sparkle they hold and has seldom seen it as of late.

"…I suppose you're right," she amends, and James knows how hard it must be for her to admit this. She suddenly looks alarmed. "The prefects! I just upped and left –"

"I told Remus and Harris they have first patrol and handed out the schedules," he says soothingly. "Relax Lily, I took care of it."

She throws herself forward and hugs him tightly. It surprises him, this being the first intimate contact they have had since the morning of the day she was kidnapped. He hugs her back though, glad that she is not mad at him for hexing Alecto.

"I never thought I'd be saying this James…" she says hesitantly, "but thank you for defending my honor."

There is a moment of silence and then the pair of them start laughing hysterically. It is a good five minutes before they stop and by that point they are clutching their stomachs in pain and have tears of laughter rolling down their faces.

"We'd better get back to the compartment before the others wonder where we've been for so long," she says.

James nods and opens up the door, and then bows low.

"After you, Miss Evans," he says cordially.

"You're a great prat, Mr. Potter," smirks Lily.

They both laugh a little easier as they walk down the corridor to their compartment, unaware of the looming, greasy haired boy who had heard their whole conversation.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Firs' years, gather 'ere!" bellows a voice over the sea of students. "Firs' years this way!"

"Hello Hagrid!" Lily calls up to the half-giant.

"Lily!" Hagrid booms, bending down to give her a bone-crushing hug. "And yer Head Girl! I knew Dumbledore'd choose yeh!"

Lily smiles up at the gamekeeper. She has been friends with Hagrid for as long as she can remember. They met back in her first year when a couple of Slytherin second years were insulting her about her parentage after Herbology. He had rounded the corner and when he heard what they were calling her, had yelled at them to go back to the castle and offered her some tea and rock cakes in his hut. She had accepted graciously and did not have the heart not take some of the dreadful rock cakes with her. Ever since that day she has always gone to Hagrid's when she is upset or just in need of a friendly face. She hopes her son or daughter will be as close to him as she is.

"How was your summer?" asks Lily.

"Good, good," says Hagrid dismissively. "Not as interestin' as yers I'm afraid." He looks down at her concerned and she turns to focus her attention on her shoes.

"Hey Hagrid," says James, his timing impeccable as always.

"JAMES!" booms Hagrid, scaring all of the first years. "Congratulations on becoming Head Boy!"

"Thanks," grins James. "I'll let you get back to this lot, we have to bring up the others."

Hagrid shakes his head. "Never though' I'd see the day when a Marauder other than Remus is responsible. Wasn't it just a year ago that you were leading firs' years into the forest after hours?" He winks at James and after smiling at Lily, says goodbye to both of them before taking off with the first years.

"What was he referring to when he said you were leading first years into the Forest after hours?" asks Lily, trying her best to look stern.

James shakes his head and grins at her.

"Hagrid just acting like a nutcase again," he jokes. "I thought you knew me better, Lils!" She laughs good-humouredly and he beams. "Come on. Let's get all these people to the carriages, I'm _starving!"_

"Are you ever not?"

"Good point."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The Great Hall looks magnificent as always, Lily notes, when they walk in. The walls are ornately decorated with incomprehensible symbols and she is positive that the intricate lettering is in Runes.

She looks up at the Head table to see Professor Dumbledore apparently lost in thought, for he is staring intensely at the night sky. He seems to have mastered blocking out all of which is around him, a trait Lily wishes that she possesses often.

Lily, still standing up, notices that she is attracting a lot of unwarranted attention. Well, it is not entirely unjustified but it is most definitely unwanted. She also notices how they are all whispering and pointing at her, a trait Lily has always found annoying. When they notice her glaring at them though they freeze and she gives them a mock-happy wave, causing them to avert his or her eyes.

The Slytherin table are the worst offenders though. She looks in their direction and sees Severus staring at her intently. She looks away from him, being aware that it requires eye contact to enter another's mind. Her eyes then drift to the Carrow twins, and Amycus smirks and winks at her. She feels suddenly very nauseous.

"You okay, Lily?" asks Alice. She is sitting next to Frank now. Lily looks around and notices that everyone else is sitting down as well.

"Yeah, I'm fine," lies Lily, also sitting down. "Just admiring what I've overlooked all these years. Can you believe this is going to be our last welcome feast?"

Everyone groans and Sirius says, "Do you _always_ have to remind us of that?"

Lily grins sheepishly. "Sorry."

The doors in the back open then and they all turn to face Professor McGonagall, now approaching with a queue of frantic looking first years.

"They're so puny!" says Sirius a little too loudly.

There are scattered laughs throughout the Great Hall and Marlene smacks Sirius' arm.

"You were small at one point too, you know," she says.

"Yeah, but I was never _that_ small," retorts Sirius, rubbing his arm.

"Some would say that your big head made you look taller," smirks Lily. Sirius sticks his tongue out at her and they turn to face front again.

"When I call your name, you will come up and I will put the sorting hat on your head," explains Professor McGonagall. "Then, you will be sorted into one of four Houses. The four Houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin."

"While you're here, your House will be like your family. Any triumphs and you will gain points…any rule breaking, you will _lose_ points." Her eyes wander briefly over to where the Marauders are sitting when she says this. Sirius waves jovially to her and Lily swears she can see her lip turn up ever so slightly.

"Ainslie, Daniela," she calls loudly.

A small girl with blonde hair comes running up to the stool. She seems fairly confident, at least in comparison to the others around her.

"RAVENCLAW!" shouts the hat.

The table furthest from them erupts with applause as Daniela Ainslie took off the hat and runs over to them.

"Burnett, Sage!"

A small girl with red hair put into a French braid skips up to the stool, much to the amusement of those around her. A couple of girls around Lily coo and murmur how cute she is and Lily cannot help but agree. She feels some sort of connection with the little redhead girl. Perhaps she reminds her a little bit of herself at age eleven?

The girl leaps onto the stool with a mixture of anxiousness and excitement. After a few seconds the hat shouts:

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Everyone at the table cheers as Sage Burnett puts the hat back on the stool and skips over to them. She sits down a few seats down from James in between Nadine and Michael, now fifth years, who greet her cheerfully. They all watch as Katie Campbell and Liam Daniels are both sorted into Gryffindor as well.

Professor McGonagall goes down the list as always, losing more and more people's attention as she continues. By the time they get to Williams, Zachary; Sirius is playing thumb war with Peter.

James, to his credit, is paying attention, but mostly because he wants to show that he deserves his badge and not prove Severus right.

Finally, the sorting is over and Professor Dumbledore gives his usual few words saying that they will be allowed to eat before he gives the start of term notices and as usual, he is greeted with applause. He claps and the tables groan under the sudden weight of food.

Sirius and James begin inhaling their food the second after it appears, much to everyone else's disgust.

"You'd think that being seventeen and all they would realize that most first years have better table manners then they do," comments Remus.

"Oh believe me, we realize it," says James, after swallowing a chicken wing. "We just choose to ignore it and go about our regular lives."

Lily stares at the two boys with amazement.

"Some things never change," she says, shaking her head.

A little while later, after everyone has finished eating, they are all just sitting around talking over dessert.

"I think we should have a black and white ball this year," says Alice enthusiastically. "It'd be so fun to get all dressed up and see the guys wear tuxes!"

"Oh, hell no!" cries Sirius. "Like hell will I be wearing a tux in front of the whole school!"

"Aw, not even for me?" begs Marlene.

Sirius grins down at her. "Well…maybe for _you_…"

"Hey Sirius," says a flirtatious voice.

Sirius turns around to see Kristina standing there with a look of lust in her eyes.

"Hey Kristina," he says tentatively. He looks out of the corner of his eye to see Marlene's reaction to Katrina and notes that she is shooting daggers at her. Brilliant.

"I miss you in my bed," she says bluntly. Sirius squirms slightly. "Want to hook up with me this Saturday night?"

Sirius then raises an eyebrow and instead of answering, puts a territorial arm around Marlene's shoulder. Marlene smirks at Katrina's face. "Ew, why like that whore? There are so many pretty girls in our year, like me, that actually have a personality close to yours."

Lily, Margaret, and Alice gasp and Sirius' eyes burn fire.

"Shut your fucking mouth," he growls. "Marlene's prettier, more fun, and overall more amazing than any other girl in the school. You don't know shit, bitch."

All of the others, including Katrina, stare at Sirius in shock. They have never seen him so angry or passionate about anything before.

"I'm sure you'd say that about anyone else you liked," says Katrina dismissively. "Fuck you, Sirius, why don't you decide who you are going to be friends with because people are sick of you talking shit about Marlene and then, like, suddenly being in love with her."

"Talking shit about Marlene? Are you _mental?_ Fuck you. Have you ever heard me say that about anyone else? No, because I mean it with her. I have decided who I'm going to be friends and it's not going to be you. In other words, you can get off your high-fucking-horse and gallop away 'cause I'd never hook up with you sober _or_ high."

Everyone stares at Sirius in shock, most of all Marlene; who has tears in her eyes. Sirius means so much to her and to hear him say all that about her makes her feel like the luckiest girl in the world. It also feels good to see Kristina be put in her place.

Kristina looks at Sirius for a fleeting moment and then turns on her heel and stalks back to the end of the table.

"You sure put her in her place," says James impressed. "I don't think I've ever seen fire burn in your eyes that strongly."

"She made me angry, insulting Marlene like that," says Sirius through clenched teeth.

"Another girls' honour defended," Lily whispers to James. The two of them start laughing hysterically again and the others join in, not because they know why they are laughing but because they are friends.

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A/N: Tell me what you think! Please review!


	34. Innocent and Father Time Strikes Again

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 34 – Innocent and Father Time Strikes Again

One good thing and one horrible thing has come out of returning to Hogwarts this year.

The bad thing is that everyone is staring at Lily every time she enters the Great Hall or even in the corridors and the common room. They do not try to hide it either and some will even come up to her and ask her what happened over the summer. On these occasions, she will disappear to her dormitory for hours at a time and not come out until she is sufficiently calmed down. The only person who has managed to do this is James, and even that on occasion does not work. Even her usual refugee, the library, is proving impossible to concentrate in, no matter how many times Madam Pince yells at people to be quiet and to mind their own business.

The good thing, though, is that after that very public display of how much Sirius cared for Marlene last night, no one (especially Kristina) dares to try and flirt with him or make a nasty comment to his face about Marlene. This does not stop them from trying to do it behind his back though.

"Honestly Sirius, I could care less what people are saying about me," yawns Marlene the next morning at breakfast. "I knew that dating you would come at a price and I'm fine with it."

Sirius stares at her incredulously. "How could you be okay with people badmouthing you, calling you horrible names?"

Marlene shrugs and grins. "You called me a fair amount of them for our first five years here."

Sirius grins sheepishly and rubs the back of his neck.

"They're adorable," Lily whispers to James. "Was Sirius gone from his room last night?"

James looks up from his cereal in surprise. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Marlene was gone also. So I assumed that meant…" Lily trails off.

James makes a face. "I try not to think deeply into my best mate's sex life, especially over breakfast."

"I do hope they're using protection this time, though," says Lily worriedly.

"Would you like me to ask him?" asks James dryly.

Lily nods earnestly and James groans but obliges. He clears this throat awkwardly and scoots over to where Sirius is sitting.

"Hey Pads, I – erm – have a question for you," he says, looking very uncomfortable.

Sirius turns to James in surprise and nods. James motions for him to lean in and Sirius does.

There is a lot of hand gesticulating and once James points to Lily, she knows this can only mean he is explaining that he has been "forced" to do this.

Sirius looks at Lily several times in disbelief and whispers a short response to James. By the look on James' face it is obviously not what he had been expecting but he cannot contain the laughter in his eyes.

"Well, what'd he say? Or do I not want to know?" adds Lily as an afterthought.

James looks like he is going to break down laughing.

"He said that 'yes, they are using protection' and 'tell Lily to fuck the hell off'."

Lily looks at Sirius in disbelief and receives a wink out of the corner of his left eye. Just then Professor McGonagall comes up to them with their newly adapted timetables.

"Firstly, I'd like to properly congratulate the two of you on becoming Heads," she says without introduction. "It always makes me proud when one, or in this case two, from my House are granted this prestigious honour."

"Furthermore, you were chosen for this position of power because Professor Dumbledore trusts that you two are up to the challenge and I wholeheartedly agree. However, if you misuse your power in any way or you cannot keep up with your academics, then the position _will_ be taken away indefinitely."

Both Lily and James nod simultaneously, knowing that Professor McGonagall is not joking around. They both know that she cuts no slack to anyone, whether they are in her House or not.

"You'll find the Head dormitory right next to the Gryffindor common room, behind the tapestry of Godric and Lady Gryffindor," she continues. "Once there you can choose the password and choose wisely, else wise anyone can get in."

The two Heads nod again and take the timetables that she extends to them.

"I'd like to meet with you two before Thursday so we can discuss what some of your goals are for this year," adds Professor McGonagall. "That all being said, have a good first day and I'll see you both this afternoon in Advanced Transfiguration."

They bid her goodbye and sit back down.

"Did you know we were given our own dormitory?" Lily asks him.

James shakes his head. "I guess it makes sense though. The Heads are kind of on their own and in a sense, above the rest of the student body. I suppose this is their way of differentiating us from the rest."

Lily nods, his explanation making sense. She is surprised with what he says next though.

"So tell me, I thought you weren't that good in Transfiguration. How'd you make it to advanced placement?" asks James curiously.

Lily makes a face and looks down. "I had a tutor for some time."

James quirks an eyebrow. "Really? Who?"

"Marc."

James' heart plummets. "…Davis?"

Lily nods. "We'd better get to class," she says hastily, loud enough so the others can hear as well. "It wouldn't do to be late on our last, first day."

"I'm going to pretend that I understood that," grins James, trying not to show how troubled he is feeling about Lily dismissing the topic of Marc. He is sure that it is still more than a little sore for her to discuss but it is as if there is something more to the story. Perhaps he is reading too far into it…?

They all get up and head to Potions class, mostly looking forward to the fact that they all have a free period afterwards.

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Lily's first day back could not have gone anymore worse. To start off, she has most, if not all, of her classes with the Slytherins. Due to that, she is now having to deal with their jeering faces and snide comments, excluding Severus who is apologizing for everything that happened one minute and then stonewalling her the next when his friends come along. It got so bad that James threatened to hex his mouth shut if he did not be quiet.

She hates how she feels the need to keep explaining herself to Severus, trying to explain _why_ they can no longer be friends and then have him ignore her when his friends come around. It is infuriating to the point where she will gladly bang her head _and_ his against the wall.

Both Severus and James say that they care about her, but it is James who proves it each day. James treats her the same when they are alone or with other people and he makes her feel like she was the only girl in the world. Severus, on the other hand, treats her with so much care when they are alone but when his friends come around treats her like she is nothing of any significance to him. The only sign, she notes, that he still realizes she is in the room when his friends come around is the pain in his eyes when he catches her eye.

She is starting to see now how James had been right when he said Severus cares for her in more than just a friendly way. It is bizarre though! She has always thought that both her and Severus loved each other like _siblings_. Apparently that had not been the case and it makes her wonder how obvious it really was that he likes her beyond friendship.

It is now nighttime and everyone is gathered in the common room, either trying to finish their homework, procrastinate in doing their homework, or complaining about their homework.

"I can't believe McGonagall gave us so much on our first day back," gripes Sirius.

"Well it _is_ our final year and we _do_ have N.E.W.T's coming up in June," points out Alice.

"Ugh, don't remind me."

"Why? It's not like you're going to study until the week of," snorts Peter.

"He's got a valid point," comments Remus. "Plus, in the time you have been complaining, you could have been done with your homework."

"Yeahh, but that's so much workkk," sighs Sirius. He turns to face Marlene, who is sitting next to him. "Will you do my homework for me?"

"Are you kidding me? I haven't even started my own!"

"Ah, they're made for each other," smirks James. He turns to look at Lily who is sitting next to him. "You're uncharacteristically quiet tonight."

He receives no response from her except frantic scratches out of words on her piece of parchment.

"Lily?" says Frank tentatively, as if afraid he might set a bomb off.

Still no response except irritated crossing-out sounds.

"LILY!" shouts Sirius, unafraid of disturbing her.

Lily jumps and catches her inkbottle before it spills all over her work. She looks up and glares daggers at Sirius, causing him to recoil.

"_What?"_ she implores irritably. "In case you had failed to notice, I'm actually _trying_ to finish the assignment Professor McGonagall said is due tomorrow."

"That's due _tomorrow?"_ cries Marlene in horror. She quickly grabs her bag and yanks out her textbook and a spare piece of parchment.

"McGonagall's off her rocker! How the bloody hell are we supposed to finish this?" exclaims Sirius, reading over Marlene's shoulder at the assignment. "Imagine what it will be like when the Quidditch season starts!"

"No, I don't really care to imagine since I'll be patrolling the corridors every night to boot," retorts Remus, not looking up from his essay. Margaret pats his shoulder soothingly.

"_Well_, if you had started earlier like me you wouldn't be in this predicament, now would you?" snaps Lily.

"How much have you gotten done?" asks James.

"I just have to finish my concluding sentence…" says Lily absentmindedly.

"I could lend you mine to copy," he offers.

Now Lily directs her glare at him. "What do you take me for? A cheater who's lazy and can't do their own work?"

"No ma'am," says James hastily. He then whispers to her, "If you ever need help, not that you'd admit it, though I'm always available." She smiles slightly at him and kisses him on the cheek before scratching out her first sentence in her introduction.

"I'd gladly take yours," says Sirius grinning.

"Sorry, the offer's off the table."

"The offer was only on for Lily anyways," grumbles Marlene. Sirius smirks.

James, pretending he had not heard, checks his watch and does a double take.

"It's already five to eight! We have to patrol for an hour down by the dungeons."

"All right, hang on, let me just finish this last sentence," says Lily.

James watches her as she finishes writing her final sentence and places it neatly into her backpack before standing back up again.

"Don't even think about copying it because I'll know if you did if we get the same grade," warns Lily to the general public.

"What are we going to do then?" moans Marlene.

"Put your heads together, you were probably going to at some point tonight," grins James.

He ducks as Sirius' textbook is thrown at him and sprints out of the room before any other heavy objects can be located. Lily rolls her eyes exasperatedly and waves to the others before following him out.

Once they are both out they start out down the corridor together, hand-in-hand, neither of them saying anything to the other but both in a content silence.

After ten minutes, it is James who breaks the silence and says, "How was your first day back?"

Lily, caught off guard, turns to look at him in surprise.

"Just ducky."

James chuckles. "That good, huh?"

Lily laughs too. "What could you expect? Virtually all of our classes are with the Slytherins!"

James is silent for a moment. "I saw you talking to Snape earlier."

Lily makes a face and looks at the opposite wall.

"Sorry," says James quickly.

Lily shakes her head. "It's fine. It's just…Severus wants to keep hold of a friendship that ended a long time ago."

"Elaborate?"

"He wants to keep our friendship but he's not willing to put the effort into it," explains Lily. "In any healthy relationship, friend or dating, you should be treated the same way in public as you are in private. Severus won't do that though…whenever his friends come along he ignores me." She pauses. "That's why we have such a good relationship. We don't hold back in public what we think of the other person."

James agrees but has no response for her and just stares at her as if she is likely to disappear if he blinks. Lily catches him staring and smiles, which he returns and they fall silent again.

They talk little for the next few minutes, mainly just walking down the corridors and telling few people off for being out of their common room.

"Merlin, I think there's someone in there," groans Lily. "Don't people have anything better to do than -?"

"Hook-up in broom cupboards? No," replies James amused, and Lily blushes. "You'd think though that they would stick to their own dormitories though."

"It's your turn," she points out, having opened the last cupboard and gotten an eyeful.

James makes a face and prepares himself. He unlocks the door and swings it open, revealing two fifth years both belonging to Gryffindor.

"_Michael?"_ Lily cries incredulously, trying not to laugh at the boy's flustered expression upon being discovered. His partner looks up and Lily's eyes practically fall out. "_Nadine?"_

"Oh…erm – hullo Lily, James," she says nervously, straightening her blouse. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Yeah, you don't say," mutters James, giving Michael a look. He quickly fixes his trousers and helps Nadine up. "Fifteen points from Gryffindor. Get back to the common room."

"Yessir, sir hazel knight, sir," Michael stammers. He grabs Nadine's hand and they run off giggling to the common room.

"Did he just call me…"

"Sir hazel knight? Yes, I believe he did," giggles Lily upon seeing James' shocked look. "Oh, come on James, he's adorable! Besides, you _do_ have stunning hazel eyes."

"Well, thank you, darling, I'm glad you noticed." He winks at her and offers her an arm, which she accepts.

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"Think they won't catch us?" giggles Marlene as Sirius pulls her along the corridors.

"Doubtful, they're going to be down in the dungeons tonight," he grins, pulling her into an abandoned classroom.

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"Thank Merlin no one was roaming through the dungeons," says Lily relieved. "That place gives me the creeps."

"Don't worry, I'll protect you," grins James, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

Lily smiles and snuggles into his torso until she hears a noise and jumps in surprise. As of late, her senses have increased ten-fold.

"Did you hear that?" she asks.

James pauses, his ears straining. The sound occurs again.

"Yeah," he says slowly. "It sounds like a giggle."

Lily makes a face. "Do you know of any broom cupboards in this corridor?"

James shakes his head. "Just an abandoned classroom. It hasn't been used in years." He grins cheekily. "Your turn."

Lily sighs. "Alright, let's go."

"_Alohamora!"_ she whispers. The door clicks and she opens it slowly.

Naked in the corner are both Marlene and Sirius, and Lily finds herself being pulled behind a desk on the other side of the room.

"What are we going to do?" mouths Lily, her mouth suddenly dry. "There's no way we can get out without them hearing us!"

"No clue," mouths James in response. He looks around the room uncomfortably, trying to look anywhere _besides_ that corner. Watching his best mate do it with a close friend is _not_ on his agenda of things he had ever wanted to do.

"Sirius," moans Marlene as he fingers her clitoris. _"SIRIUS!"_

Lily feels like she is going to barf and wonders how she will ever be able to look either friend directly in the eyes after this. It is uncomfortable enough that her and James are both stuck in here _together!_

"There's got to be a way out," mouths James. "Let's trying crawling to the front."

Lily nods and follows him until her foot gets caught on a chair and it drags momentarily with her. Both her and James inwardly curse as Marlene and Sirius pull apart suddenly.

"Did you hear that?" whispers Marlene, pulling her clothes back on. Sirius nods.

"It sounds as if someone had dragged a chair," he says slowly, as he puts on his own clothes. "Hang on…" He squints and notices a source of flaming red colour and immediately recognizes it. "_Lily?"_

Marlene gasps as Lily groans.

James anxiously tries to crawl away but Lily grabs his ankle.

"If I go down you're going down with me," she hisses. He sighs and stands up as well.

"Hiya."

"What are you two doing in here?" cries Marlene.

"We were doing rounds and Lily heard a giggle and –" begins James. "Wait a second, why are _we_ explaining ourselves to you guys? Why are you in an abandoned _classroom_ and not, oh I don't know, in _your_ dormitory?"

Sirius and Marlene both look severely uncomfortable.

"We preferred having some more privacy," he explains. "Obviously that didn't work out too well."

Having nothing else to say to each other, they begin walking out until Marlene grabs Lily's wrist.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" she asks. Lily nods and closes the door after the guys.

"You won't go to Professor McGonagall with this, will you?" asks Marlene anxiously.

Lily is silent for a moment. "This was embarrassing for all of us…we don't need our Professor getting involved _this time_. If we catch you again, however, I'll be forced to tell her since it's my –"

"Thank you, Lily!" squeals Marlene, hugging Lily tightly. "I promise, you'll never catch us again doing _anything_ of this sort."

Lily smiles weakly. "Good."

The two walk out of the classroom, one heading back to the common room and the other to the Head dormitory, yet something has changed. In Lily's mind, Marlene is no longer the innocent girl who is shy around guys. It had become clear months ago that she is no longer a virgin and she wonders how long it will be before Alice makes none in their group innocent.

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Things are slightly tense between Lily and James after what they had witnessed several nights before. Lily cannot explain _why_ she feels tense whenever James walks in but she does. Perhaps it is because she no longer feels comfortable with him in that way. Sure, she has been adjusting slowly again but the most she can give him is a kiss on the cheek. It will be a while before she ever wants to intimately touch and be touched by him again.

It is now ten to eight Wednesday evening and once again, everyone is gathered in the common room cramming to finish his or her ever-piling homework.

"We'd better head to Professor McGonagall's office now," says Lily, standing up.

"Do we _haveee_ to?" moans James, who is playing an intense game of Exploding Snap with Sirius.

"Yesss, we do!" says Lily, lifting James off the floor. "She told us to meet her before Thursday so we can discuss the goals that _I_ came up with."

"I said that I would help!" protests James.

"_After_ I had finished and when we would have had little time to collaborate effectively!" Lily counters as they walk out of the common room.

"Bless them," teases Alice, and the others laugh.

"I still offered!" James argues, as they walk down the corridor. "Plus, I was tired from classes and Quidditch practices beginning and I couldn't get the nauseating picture of the other night out of my head."

"Mr. Potter, I believe Professor McGonagall said that if you cannot handle your extracurricular and your studies, your badge will _have_ to be taken away," says Lily in an uncanny impression of Professor McGonagall. She cringes. "Though, I don't suppose the latter is characterized as an extracurricular…" James smirks.

"And risk giving up all the time I get to spend with you, Miss Evans? Never!" Lily also smirks.

"Oh please, you'd be seeing me _anyway_. After all, we are dating." James grins.

"A fact that warms my heart every day," he says dramatically. "Now can I _please_ see that list of ideas before we enter that office?" asks James. "I'd like to know what I'm being praised about," he says, flashing a grin at her.

Lily rolls her eyes and hands him the sheet of parchment, albeit uneasily.

"Ooh, I like the one for Halloween," says James giddily. "A black and white ball will _definitely_ be interesting." He continues to scan over the list. "Cutting a Christmas Ball was probably for the best, we all probably have those at home and we're definitely going to need more of a budget for our graduation."

"Exactly my thought process," nods Lily.

"Great minds think alike," says James. He hands her back the piece of parchment and knocks on Professor McGonagall's door thrice.

"Enter," says a voice.

James opens the door to find the _second_ office that he is accustomed to being in whenever the Marauders pull a prank. If Professor Dumbledore was away at the time of the prank, they were always pulled into here for questioning. That is until they were older and it became clear that it was they pulling the prank.

"Ah, Miss Evans and Mr. Potter, your timing is impeccable," greets Professor McGonagall.

"Well, part one is a success," says James out of the corner of his mouth. Lily smiles.

"Tell me, how are you keeping up with your studies and your extracurricular?" she asks, looking in particular at James. James pretends to be wounded.

"Quite excellent actually," he teases and grins when Professor McGonagall's upper lip twitches.

"It's an adjustment, really, but we're learning how to balance it all," jumps in Lily. "It's good too because it'll teach us how to balance all of our assignments and duties later in life."

Apparently this is what Professor McGonagall hoped to hear and she nods approvingly.

"Exactly what I had hoped to hear and I am glad I am hearing it from _you_, Miss Evans." Lily blushes. "I'm sorry, please take a seat and let us go over your list of goals."

Both Heads sit down and Lily hands Professor McGonagall the sheet of parchment. The Professor scans over it and nods approvingly again.

"Yes, a black and white ball will be an _excellent_ idea," she says, nodding. "I also like how you did not include a Christmas ball. Am I right in assuming it is so we can save money for your graduation dance?" Lily and James both nod. "Excellent," she repeated.

"We also figured that since many students go home for the holiday's," adds James, "that they'll either be having their own party's or going to someone else's."

Professor McGonagall nods once more and actually smiles.

"Very good, I have nothing more to add to this list except I do have to request a favour of the two of you." They both nod and wait.

"I have noticed certain first and second years particularly struggling in some of their classes. I have already talked to them individually and they agreed that having a study group would be in their best interest."

"This is where you two come in. Would you mind on Friday evenings holding study groups in the library? It would be much to the benefit of the younger students since us teachers cannot always give them the undivided attention they often need. It is true that probably only ninety five percent of students learn material without needing much explaining."

"Of course," says Lily quickly. "We can hold it at five o'clock so it is not too late into the night and those who choose to make plans can still withhold them." She feels James relax next to her and skillfully keeps herself from laughing out loud.

"That sounds wonderful, thank you Miss Evans. I'll see you two next week to conference again and you can fill me in on how the study groups go. Just post a notice in your common room and I'll alert the Heads of the other Houses to do the same."

Both Lily and James nod and stand up again. Professor McGonagall hands Lily the list and nods to them. They take that as their cue to leave and walk out of the room.

"Well that went better than expected," says Lily happily.

James grins. "Thanks for saving everyone's Friday nights."

Lily grins also. "I know it may be contrary to popular belief but I _do_ have things I'd rather be doing than sitting around in a stuffy library helping the younger students study." She smiles and takes hold of his hand. "One of those said things is spending time with you."

He smiles down at her. "I know, you could be going on a date with me. Speaking of which, you _did_ say that we would take a rain check on that date that I couldn't go on. You know, because of Remus' furry little problem."

Lily smiles. "_I_ said that? Are you sure because that doesn't sound like me at all!"

"Oh, I'm positive. Believe me, when you said that I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming."

Lily continues to smile. "Fine. Where would you like this date, that I apparently agreed to, to be?"

"Oh, definitely Hogsmeade."

"So you can show people that you finally _'got'_ me?" teases Lily, quoting James from last year.

James rolls his eyes. "No, it's because I'd be too cliché if I arranged our first date under the stars and I'd fear you'd laugh at me."

Lily laughs. "That's true. Save that one for the second date," she winks, and he guffaws. "This Saturday?"

"Yep."

"Sounds great," says Lily as the reach the Fat Lady. "Dragon dung."

"Right you are," she smiles at Lily. She swings open and they find the common room as full as when they left it, save Lily's friends.

"They're probably in the Heads dorm. I told them the password so if they want to get away from Miranda or Kristina, they can campout."

James chuckles. "All right, I think I'm going to head back there too." He kisses her temple and she smiles. "I can't wait for Saturday."

"Me also." He winks at her as he walks out and Lily does her best not to blush like a little girl just when Marlene, Margaret, and Alice walk into the common room.

"She's such a vindictive bi – oh, hey Lily," greets Marlene.

Lily smiles sympathetically. "Miranda or Kristina?"

"Both!" yells an enraged Marlene. "You know that Daniels and Sirius have been assigned to work on the Transfiguration project together and already she's trying to sink her claws in!" Several people turn to stare at her in surprise but she ignores them.

"Let's go to the Head dorms," murmurs Lily. Marlene, Margaret, and Alice all nod and walk out of the common room with Lily. They walk to the painting of Godric and Lady Gryffindor.

"Lemon drops," Lily says.

They both nod and swing open to allow her access.

"Who are you assigned with again?" asks Lily wearily, as they sit down by the fireplace.

"Chuck Blaire," she snorts.

"Your first?" Margaret asks, and Marlene nods.

"I saw her practically groping Sirius in the library," Marlene snarls. "She was –"

"Wait a minute," cuts off Lily. "Were you _spying_ on them?"

Marlene shifts uneasily and Lily's eyes widen in shock.

"Marlene! Don't you trust Sirius enough to know he would never do anything to hurt you?"

"Yeah, I suppose but it's _her_ that I worry about! He's a guy, what hormonal male wouldn't enjoy a girl flirting with them?"

"A 'male' who's clearly invested in _you_ and loves _you_," Alice implores. "If you and Sirius are going to have a healthy relationship Marlene, you're going to have to trust him."

"I know, but it's not so easy for me. Trusting doesn't come naturally to me."

"Have you spoken to Sirius about this?" Lily asks her.

"No, I don't want him to know that I don't trust him!"

There is silence where the girls only stare at each other and Marlene's hand flies to her mouth.

"Did I really just say that?" she whispers, and the others nod. She groans and puts her head in her hands. "Why can't I trust him, Lily?"

Lily looks at her friend sadly.

"Because you know his past and that it's hard to 'teach an old dog new tricks'." Even though it is a Muggle term, Marlene is able to decipher the meaning easily. "You also haven't had good experiences in the past with trusting people. Remember it took you a while before you could grow to trust us?"

Marlene nods. "And letting you guys in was the best thing I have decided to do to date."

"You and Sirius need to talk," Margaret says, jumping in. "And not a one-sided talk but a talk where both of you listen to what the other has to say and accept it. That is the only way you will start to let him in more." Marlene nods and Lily decides to switch gears.

"So, what did Miranda do this time?" she asks, mildly interested.

"She showed up again and brought that album with those pictures that she took and started taunting Dorcas about it," says Marlene, grinding her teeth.

"Naturally, Dorcas started stuttering like crazy, you know, like she used to," says Alice. "I haven't seen her so terrified since before she asked out Remus. It was like she was the little girl being picked on again."

"Anyway, Marlene stood up for her and got into a heated argument starting and ending with both of them using colourful words," finishes Margaret. Lily winces.

"So, how was going to McGonagall's with James?" asks Marlene, changing the subject again.

Lily shrugs. "She liked _my_ ideas…erm – we _are_ going to have a Black and White Ball for Halloween…James and I are going out this Saturday to Hogsmeade…"

"WHAT?" shriek Marlene, Margaret, and Alice. Lily winces again.

"I know, the ball will be a great time –" she begins. Marlene glares at her.

"Don't you _dare_ try and change the subject! I officially declare tonight as a girls night!"

"We haven't had one of those since –" starts Alice.

"We fought," finishes Margaret quietly. They are all silent for a moment before she continues. "Who has the chocolate?"

The others grin from ear-to-ear with anticipation for getting their chocolate fix.

"Last one to my room is a rotten egg!" The others laugh and chase after her excitedly.

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"So, how was your meeting with Minnie?" asks Sirius. The four Marauders are gathered in James' new dormitory. It has so much extra room that they could easily camp out here whenever they please.

"Good," he says absentmindedly, his eyes sparkling. Remus looks at him closely.

"What's going on with you and Lily?" he determines.

"How'd Lily come up?" asks Peter.

"He has that sparkle in his eyes," Sirius notes as well. "What happened, mate? It must have been something good because I can't detect pain or anger." James raises an eyebrow.

"We just know you that well," answers Remus.

James grins. "We're going on Saturday to Hogsmeade for our first official date."

There is silence for several minutes and no Marauder speaks.

"You're joking, right?" says Peter.

"Does this look like the face of someone's who's joking?"

Sirius punches him. "Way to go, mate! Of course…I thought you two would have gone out _before_ banging each other but –"

James punches Sirius right back and Remus groans.

"Padfoot, I've never seen someone will such little tact," says Remus. "Do you not listen to what Marlene said on the train?"

"What did Marlene say on the train?" asks James curiously. Sirius shifts embarrassed.

"She was appealing on Lily's behalf to get me to stop making cracks about you two and sex because…"

"It's making her uncomfortable and she can see it's annoying you," finishes Remus for him.

James does not say anything. He had known that it was obviously a sore topic for her but wishes she had spoken to him about it. Sirius _is_ his best mate and he could have fixed the problem as well.

"Sorry Prongsie," apologizes Sirius.

James nods and shrugs, the four of them switching gears to the Quidditch season and who they think will be out of the running first. As usual, they vote Hufflepuff.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Mm, I _LOVE_ chocolate frogs!" shouts a very sugar-high Lily.

"Personally, I'm a Bertie Botts girl," grins Alice. "Hey Lily, why does Sirius call you Lily-bean, anyway?"

Lily eats another chocolate frog. "Mm. Erm – I think because in my first year I ate a turd flavoured one and he never let me live it down. We should ask him…"

"Agreed," say Marlene, Margaret, and Alice together.

The four of them stand up and run out of the room like a couple of giddy five-year-olds. They run up to James' dormitory and barge in without knocking.

"Sirius! Sirius! Sirius! Sirius!" they all call, running towards the him and jumping on him. "Sirius! Sirius! Sirius! Sirius!"

"Ah, see fellows, there _are_ times when having girls scream at you is good," grins Sirius. He turns back to the four girls. "How may I be of assistance?"

"We wanted to know why you call Lily, Lily-bean and she said that it was because in our first year she ate a turd flavoured Bertie Botts Every Flavour Bean and you never let her live it down."

Sirius shakes her head. "That's only partially right. I never let her live it down because I had stolen that bean from her but she yelled at me and grabbed it back and _then_ ate it and gagged."

"So basically she saved you from a turd flavoured bean?" says Alice. Sirius nods. "Why are we _just_ hearing this story?"

"Because it's barely a story since there's no solution to it _and_ you never asked?" suggests Lily. Alice sticks her tongue out and lets out a squeal as a pair of hands fold over her eyes.

"Frank!"

"Top of the morning!" he greets.

"It's nine o'clock at night," points out James.

"Why hello, Father Time, I didn't realize you were visiting us," says Frank dryly.

Everyone laughs. This is going to be _their_ year. Everything looks relatively promising, you know, besides the overload of work. Other than that, they are for the most part happy and healthy.

If only they were aware what truly lies in store for them.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	35. The First Date

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 35 – The First Date

Saturday cannot have come any faster if it had sprinted towards them. The morning of September sixth dawns freezing cold and everyone in the castle is shivering, albeit for different reasons. For some, it is the nervousness/anticipation of going to Hogsmeade. For the rest, however, it is because the fires in the common rooms had gone out and the House Elves still have to relight them.

Lily wakes up wondering why she is so excited and then she remembers what day it is. It is Saturday aka her and James' first official date. She wonders if he is as excited as she is about doing this. She figures so since he _has_ been asking her for the past three years and she finally gave in.

She stands up and is immediately bombarded by Marlene, Margaret, and Alice, prepping her for today. Part of her wishes that they had not camped out last night but the other part is glad that she does not have to do this alone.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James had decided to sleep in his old dormitory last night and when he wakes up, he immediately remembers why he had barely gotten any sleep last night. Lily and him are finally going on their first date and he is beyond excited but his nerves are completely out of whack.

"Are you okay, Prongs?" asks Remus, sensing one of his best mates being awake.

"Just nervous," replies James, shivering slightly. Remus looks at him concerned.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"F-Fine. It's just really cold in here."

Remus feels his forehead and nearly yelps in pain.

"Prongs! You're burning up!" he shouts. "You have to go to the Hospital Wing –"

"NO. Poppy will make me stay there for the day and I am _not_ canceling my first official date with Lily again! Besides, who gets sick in _September?"_

"At least go under the Invisibility Cloak and get some Pepper-Up Potion," implores Remus. "You won't be able to enjoy your first date with Lily if you're sick as a dog."

"Excuse me, I take offense to that," says Sirius, waking up immediately.

"You would."

"Can you go and get it, Moony?" James pleads. "I need to get ready."

Remus sighs and nods. "Where's the Cloak?"

James turns to look at Sirius who turns to look at Peter who looks under his bed and pulls it out. He throws it to Remus who throws it over himself.

"You guys take such good care of personal possessions," he says sarcastically.

"We know," say the other Marauders as one.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily decides on a formfitting green turtleneck and a pair of her flower lined jeans since it is so cold today. Alice has also succeeded in helping her pick out a pair of shoes, Margaret in curling her hair for the occasion, and Marlene had put a light layer of makeup on her.

"Do you think I look all right?" Lily asks worriedly.

"Are you kidding, Lily?" cries Marlene. "You look gorgeous!"

"You're biased."

"Trust me, if you looked ugly I'd be the first to tell you."

Lily smiles. "At least I know that that's true…but are you _sure_ -?"

"YES!" cry all three girls.

"Lily, James loves you in any form," says Alice.

"That's right," agrees Margaret. "Don't worry so much, you look _great_."

Lily smiles again. "Thanks guys. I'll never be able to say how much it means to me to have friends like you."

The four of them do a big group hug and then let go so Lily can take one more look before going downstairs.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Eurg, that's the most vile thing I've ever tasted," cringes James.

Remus feels his head. "But your temperature has gone down so a little grossness is okay."

"Says the person who didn't have to drink it."

"Try taking the Potion I take every time before the full moon and then we'll talk."

James cringes. "Right, sorry."

"Now quit your complaining and go meet your girlfriend," teases Sirius.

James grins and slides down the railing of the guys' dormitory staircase and runs to the Head dorm.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily walks down the stairs to already find James waiting for her but looking into the fire.

"Hey," she greets nervously.

He jumps in surprise and gapes at her. She looks drop-dead gorgeous.

"Y-You look amazing," he stammers.

Lily smiles widely. "Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself." James laughs and that breaks some of the initial nervousness.

"So, are you ready to go?" he asks. Lily nods and takes his hand and they walk out of the common room, knowing that they will be attracting a lot of stares today.

Once they arrive in the entry hall that is when people really start to stare at them.

"Is that -?"

"Are they on a date -?"

"No way -!"

"Has hell frozen over -?"

"According to suicide statistics, Monday is the favoured day for self-destruction –"

"Well, we both knew this would happen," sighs Lily. "People really don't have better things to do than gossip, do they?"

"Nope," says James, shaking his head. "You'd think they'd be used to it now though. I mean we _have_ been together for a while now."

They walk outside and feel the crisp, fall air, whip harshly across their faces.

"I don't think we've ever started off with such a cold year," says Lily thoughtfully. "Look! The leaves are already starting to fall off the trees!"

James frowns. Something seems unsettling about all this cold by the school but he cannot put his wand on it.

On the walk to Hogsmeade they talk for a while about classes and how the teachers are piling work on them so they are buried every second of everyday. They also talk about what they want to aspire to after they leave Hogwarts and about their friends.

"So, Sirius and Marlene seem to be getting stronger each day," smiles Lily.

James nods. "I've never seen him care for anyone so deeply before. It's almost strange…he's never held onto a girl for so long…"

"Really? How long has he ever been with a girl before?"

"A max of a week."

Lily's eyebrows disappears behind her bangs.

"Really? He's never had a girlfriend for more than a _week?"_

James hesitates. "I wouldn't go as far to call it a _girlfriend_…more like a – a fling of sorts." Lily bursts out laughing.

"Yes, that does sound very much like Sirius," she says, wiping her eyes. "I just can't believe that he is _that much_ of a womanizer. It's insulting and degrading what he does to women by having sex with them and then dumping them."

"Not that I condone it, but honestly who am I to judge? I think Sirius feels like if he stays with one girl for too long that _they_ may lose interest in him and take off. Kind of like how his parents abandoned him in more ways than just disowning him."

Lily nods. "I guess that makes sense but it still isn't right."

"How about we agree to disagree?"

"Good idea."

They walk the remainder of time in a comfortable silence, neither one speaking but knowing that it does not matter.

"Where'd you like to go first?" asks James once they arrive.

Lily grins. "Anywhere's good as long as we don't have to go to Madam Puddifoot."

James looks relieved. "I'm so glad you said that, I heard that it's all covered in frilly laces…"

"Yeah, it is and I'm sorry to say that I nearly barfed when I walked in. I usually don't mind pink to a certain extent but that's just over-the-top. It's like you walk in there and everyday is Valentine's Day."

James laughs. "How about the Hogs Head? It's quiet so we won't have to worry about younger kids and Aberforth can be a right laugh."

Lily smiles. "Sounds great."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Hey Sirius, can we talk?" Marlene asks him nervously.

"Isn't that what we're doing now?" he teases. He then sees that she is serious, however, and sobers. "Sure, what about?"

"Can we get out of here? It's too crowded, anyone care overhear." They are in Zonkos Joke Shop, which Sirius had insisted them going to so he could pick up the later pranking materials.

Sirius nods and the two of them walk out of the shop and into the busy street. Unsure of where to go, Marlene makes a beeline to the Shrieking Shack and Sirius follows her uneasily.

"What's going on, Marley?" he asks. She is twirling her hair around her finger, a habit she picked up years ago and one she only does when she is nervous. She does not even reprimand him for calling her by that name.

She sits down on the bench and does not respond, trying to collect her thoughts. She is not sure where to begin and only looks up when he sits down next to her and calls her name again.

"H-How's your Transfiguration project going?" she croaks, her throat suddenly dry. She curses herself inwardly for being so nervous.

Sirius' eyebrows shoot up and he looks at her in surprise.

"Erm – fine, I suppose. I mean working with Daniels is no treat but it's getting done…"

"What exactly do you guys do in the library?" she blurts out before she can stop herself.

Sirius' eyebrows contract and his eyes narrow dangerously. He seems to understand now what she is trying to say.

"What are you playing at?" he says coolly. "What do you _think_ we're doing in there?"

Marlene flushes angrily and it is now her turn to turn defensive.

"I'm merely wondering –"

"No, you're beating around asking if I was flirting with her behind your back and the answer is _no_," snaps Sirius. "Why don't you just admit that you don't trust me?"

Marlene glares back at him but she can feel the knots in her stomach dissipate upon learning what she should have known and then tighten again. Why does it have to be so hard to trust him?

Because a leopard does not change its spots and she would be foolish to think that he will change _just_ for her.

"Fine, I'm finding it incredibly difficult to trust you, Sirius," she says bluntly.

His heart skips a beat now that he has heard her admit it and he looks away from her. He knows though that she has good reason not to trust him but it still hurts to think that she thinks there is good chance that he will cheat on her.

"Sirius?" she whispers, leaning over and looking into his downcast eyes.

"What?" he asks more harshly than intended. Marlene winces but continues on as if she was not affected by it.

"I'm sorry Sirius, you know how hard it is for me to trust people and your reputation is –"

"My reputation isn't _me_ anymore, Marlene! I stopped hooking up with random girls, including Kristina, months ago! Tell me, have you always felt this way or is it only because I'm suddenly not attached to your hip 24/7 that you're beginning to worry. Honestly, I'd like to know because I fear you have forgotten that I don't like clingy bitches."

Marlene gapes at him and stands up angrily. He counters her by also standing up, a much more impressive move by far. Somehow though she is still more intimidating than him.

"You take that back Sirius Orion Black," she snaps. "Never have I _once_ been clingy to you these past several months and I am only worrying now because I _know_ what Daniels is capable of!"

"And I don't?" he yells. "I _dated_ her and spent more time in bed with her than –" He stops abruptly there, knowing he has gone too far.

He barely blinks an eye before Marlene is gone and running back up to the castle. He sighs and debates on running after her, ultimately deciding that right now he will only make her angrier. He just sided with the girl he is supposed to hate instead of his girlfriend.

Even someone as daft as Sirius at times knows that he is playing with fire.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"How do you think Lily and James' date is going?" Margaret asks Remus as they look around Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop.

"Well, we _could_ see for ourselves," grins Remus. Margaret's eyes widen.

"Are you saying that we should invade their privacy for our _own_ self-interest?" she asks.

"Are you saying we shouldn't?"

"Hell no! Let's go!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

As Lily and James walk down the street they attract many stares and not-so-hushed whispers from passing bystanders. While most are that they are shocked, some are not so nice.

"He _still_ likes her?"

"He should be with _me_. _I_ haven't been playing mind games with him!"

"That slut."

"Just ignore them," James whispers to Lily.

"I could care less what they have to say about me," she says defiantly. "They can whisper all they want but it's not going to change the fact that _they're_ not the one's on the date with you."

"That's the spirit!"

Lily laughs as they reach the old bar with a severed Hogs head above the sign that reads the name of the bar and when it was established.

They walk in to find it completely empty, obviously taking a toll since Voldemort's reign is growing, except for Aberforth. He is behind the counter, wiping it down with a filthy dishrag.

"Afternoon," he greets James. He squints at Lily. "Ah, and if it isn't Miss Evans. For a while there I thought she was a figment of your imagination. You finally wooed her, huh?"

Lily stifles a giggle at James' expression.

"Something like that," he replies in a cool-about way. "Can we have two butterbeers?"

"Be right back," he says gruffly. He goes behind the dark curtain and James turns to face Lily.

"I told you that he's a laugh," he grins.

Lily smiles also. "Between him and Rosemerta…have you talked about me to _everyone_ in Hogsmeade?"

James grins sheepishly. "Perhaps?"

Lily's only response is a smile before Aberforth comes back out with their drinks and James is about to pay him when he holds up his hand.

"If one of you two can answer this riddle then drinks are on the house," he says, smirking.

"Try us."

"Why wasn't Bertha put in jail after killing dozens of people?" Aberforth asks.

Lily looks at James intrigued.

"Can we confer with each other?" asks Lily. Aberforth nods. She leans over and whispers something in James' ear. He shakes his head but then she whispers something else and his eyes widen.

"Yeah, that's definitely it," he says, grinning. He turns towards Aberforth. "You shouldn't have tried to pull one over on Lily Evans."

Aberforth turns to look at Lily. "Your answer?"

"She was a hurricane," Lily states. "Am I correct?"

Aberforth grins. "Drinks are on the house. She's a bright one," he says to James.

"Tell me something I don't know," James grins, and Lily beams at the two of them.

"I'm going to have think of something much harder to test you."

Lily grins at James and mouths, "The fun is just beginning", making him grin too.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I wonder where they are," wonders Remus aloud. "We've checked the Three Broomsticks, Madam Puddifoot's –"

"I _told_ you that Lily isn't one for frilly, frilly stuff," smirks Margaret. "Hey, let's try the Hogs Head!"

Remus shrugs. "It's worth a shot."

They walk to the bar at the end of the corner and peeks in the window. They see Aberforth, who appears to be thinking hard, and Lily and James laughing.

"They _look_ like they're having a good time," says Remus. Margaret looks at him.

"Of course they are! They're practically _made_ for each other! I wonder what they're talking about…"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"All right, I've written a paragraph down for you," says Aberforth. He slides the paper to Lily and James. "There's something unusual about it. How quickly can you figure out what it is?"

"All right, do you want to do this one?" Lily asks James.

He shakes his head grinning. "I'd much rather watch you figure it out. He's given this one to me before."

Lily nods. "Once I'm done reading, time me." Aberforth nods.

_"Gatsby was walking back from a visit down in Branton Hill's manufacturing district on a Saturday night. A busy day's traffic had had its noisy run; and with not many folks in sight, His Honour got along without having to stop to grasp a hand, or talk; for a mayor out of City Hall is a shining mark for any politician. And so, coming to Broadway, a booming bass drum and sounds of singing, told of a small Salvation Army unit carrying on amidst Broadway's night shopping crowds. Gatsby, walking towards that group, saw a young girl, back toward him, just finishing a long, soulful oration ..."_ (**A/N: The above passage is taken from the book "Gatsby" written by Ernest Vincent Wright in the late 1930's.**)

"All right, time me," says Lily absentmindedly.

Aberforth looks at his watch and begins timing. After ten seconds, Lily says:

"I got it. The letter "E" is the most commonly used letter in the English language, yet in the whole passage, there was no "E" used."

"You're good," says Aberforth impressed. "You beat Mr. Potter, here, by two seconds."

"I'm wounded," says James dramatically. "Well, I guess there's no doubt that Transfiguration is the only thing I can be better than you at."

Lily sticks her tongue out playfully. "Well, you have to be good at _something_." She winks at him and he and Aberforth laugh. "So, do you have any other riddles?"

"Hmm…this won't be very difficult most likely but I do have one new one."

"Try me."

"What is greater than God, more evil than the devil, the poor have it, the rich don't need it, and if you eat it, you'll die?"

"Nothing," answers Lily immediately. "Nothing is greater than God, nothing is more evil than the Devil. The poor have nothing. The rich need nothing. And if you eat nothing, you'll die."

James grins at Aberforth. "Told you she's brilliant."

Lily blushes and takes a sip of her butterbeer.

"You didn't lie. No one's ever been able to answer my riddles so fast," compliments Aberforth. "You've got a good head on your shoulders Miss Evans and it'll help you out in more ways then none."

"It already has," James murmurs. Lily smiles sadly at him and grabs his hand under the table and gives it a squeeze. He smiles and squeezes her hand back, trying to convey that, that simple movement has made him feel better. He notices her smiling too and knows that the message was received.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily and James only stayed in the Hogs Head for a little while longer before they leave to wander around the rest of the village. Their next stop is Honeydukes for some warm chocolate on the cold day, and they take refuge in the shop for a while.

"Mm, I love warm chocolate," smiles Lily, and James grins.

"I can tell. I never realized how much of a sweet tooth you have."

"I really don't. Chocolate is about the only sweet I can bear. The rest tastes bitter to me."

"Hmm…I'll keep that in mind during your next birthday or Valentine's day," says James winking. Lily blushes.

Afterwards, they continue down the street and run into a very confused Margaret and Remus.

"Hey guys, where have you been?" asks Lily.

"Erm – down by the Shrieking Shack," lies Margaret.

"Why?" asks Lily. "Not exactly a cheering sight. I mean, - _she lowers her voice and addresses Remus –_ you have to go there once a month for your transformations. I would have thought that you were sick of it."

"Yeah, why the sudden interest in going there?" asks James, looking at Remus closely as if x-raying him. Remus squirms.

"We just thought the view was nice," he says. "Besides, it's not a bad view from out here. It's just inside…"

"Perhaps we should go indoors," suggests James. "It's getting a bit chilly out here."

"Perhaps that's because the aura of the ice queen is coming closer and closer," says Lily, narrowing her eyes.

James, Margaret, and Remus turn to see Miranda walking towards them arm-in-arm with Kristina.

"Hello all," she greets.

"Don't pretend like you're welcome here," sneers Margaret, "when you're so obviously not."

"A little birdie told us that little Miss Slut was on her first date with Jamsiepoo," supplies Miranda. She looks at James and Lily and smirks. "Obviously the rumours are true."

"Well now that you know that the 'rumours' are fact, perhaps you can _leave_," suggests Lily coolly.

"Hmm…how about no? Come on Jamsiepoo –" she begins.

"_Don't_ call me that," snarls James. Lily grabs his hand and squeezes it in hopes that it will calm him down.

Feeling her presence in a reassuring way does the trick and he backs down but only a little. This only makes Miranda smirk more.

"Come on James. You could have _any_ girl in the whole school but you choose the one who never wanted anything to do with you? She's probably only going on a date with you to make herself look like she's doing _you_ a favour."

"Don't listen to her, James," says Lily, trying hard not to show the disgust she is feeling. "Don't listen to the person who wants anything but the two of us to be together."

Remus turns to Kristina. "What are you even doing here?"

Kristina smirks also, glad to be getting some attention of her own.

"If you must know, Miranda and I met up earlier and we –" she begins but Miranda cuts her off.

" – Decided to become _best friends_," finishes Miranda.

"The insert 'match from hell' would be appropriate here," says Lily thoughtfully. "Especially since you two are all the other has in ways of friends. You don't even have significant others since you've been with every guy in the castle."

"At least _we_ realize that Sirius and James will dump you and McKinnon when they realize how _boring_ the pair of you are," jeers Miranda.

"Where is Sirius anyway?" asks Kristina suddenly, and Lily feels her blood boil to the surface. It has been a long time since she has gotten so mad.

"Probably off cheating on his leech of a girlfriend," mocks Miranda.

That sets Lily off.

"Shut your mouth you vindictive bitch," growls Lily. "Marlene is a million times the person you'll ever hope to be. Come on James, let's go."

She is about to turn around when Miranda grabs her arm.

"Oh no, don't you talk to me like that and then try and walk away," she snarls. She swings back and slaps Lily's left cheek hard. Everyone gasps in surprise.

"I can't believe you're making me do this but thirty points from Gryffindor," says Lily, internally seething. Miranda glares at her.

"Lily!" shouts Margaret. Lily turns to glare at her.

"What am I supposed to do? Let her walk off with no punishment?"

"You screwed us though too! You could always just, I don't know, _slap her back!"_

"Thanks for backing me," says Lily dryly. "Honestly, what example would I be setting if I slap someone? James, Remus, do _you_ think I did anything wrong?"

James makes a face at being thrown into the crossfire and Remus shakes his head.

"While I hate the fact that we had to lose House points over something so pathetic on Harris' part, I see where you're coming from." James hesitates but then nods in agreement.

"_Thank_ you. Now let's _go_."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The rest of the day goes by uneventfully and Lily and James push Miranda and Kristina far from their minds. They talk and laugh about their teachers and their friends and overall, it is a successful first date.

"See? Going out on a date with me wasn't teeth wrenching, was it?" grins James as they headed back to Hogwarts.

Lily smiles sincerely. "You're right, it was actually delightful. I just wish I hadn't taken so long to say yes."

"I am," says James honestly, and Lily looks at him in surprise. She would have expected him to say the opposite. "It made it even more special. You were the one girl who wouldn't give into my act, Lils. You were able to change me for the better and I'm glad you didn't go out with that jackass and instead went out with _me_."

Lily smiles. "I guess I'm glad of that too but I think you're giving me too much credit. You have yourself to thank for changing. _You_ are the one who ultimately decides if they are willing to change." She then grins widely. "Also, I wouldn't mind doing this again if you asked."

"I'll keep that in mind," he smirks.

They continue their walk to the school, jovially talking, neither noticing Severus lurking behind them miserably.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

_She finally gave in_ is all that Severus can think of as he follows them. _She finally gave into Potter's wishes and went on a date with him. I can't believe she'd sink so low._

Severus cannot believe that she has "descended" to the level of Potter. Somehow the fact that she has gone out with him now is even worse than them dating. He is such an arrogant asshole that had given Lily and him hell from the moment they met. When Severus had told her that Potter fancied her she had said that he was an bullying toerag and had basically said Severus need not worry since the feelings were not a reciprocated.

He had believed her, even felt reassured by those words until last year. He had noticed an increased difference in the way that Lily looked at Potter and definitely the way she looked at _him_, Severus. It is like the roles have been switched and now Severus is the big, bad bully and Potter is some saint to be praised.

It disgusts him that Lily has fallen for such a façade when it is obvious that Potter will only use her, use her heart, and then break it. He has to get to Potter before he can truly manipulate Lily. It is the only way to protect her and protect her, he will, especially since he failed her at the Malfoy Manor.

As they continue walking up the steps to the entry doors, Severus changes routes and heads towards the Forbidden Forest, the place he knows all too well.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

When Lily and James enter the common room, they see it is full of sixth and seventh years that had, had no interest in venturing into the town today.

"Today was great," says Lily smiling widely.

"So it was worth finally giving in to me?" jokes James.

Lily pretends to think hard. "Yes, I believe it was, Mr. Potter."

He bows to her and kisses her hand, attracting many odd stares. Lily blushes but smiles all the same.

"I'll see you later, I'm going to go up and see if Alice and Marlene have returned yet," she says. She runs up the girls' dormitory stairs in a hurry.

James watches as her blazing red hair disappears around the corner and sighs. Date one a success…

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So, how was your date?" Alice asks later that night after dinner.

They are sitting in the Heads common room, which is considerably smaller than the Gryffindor common room. That is to be expected though since it is made for two people and not hundreds.

"Good if you look past the whole Miranda and Kristina showing up halfway through," grimaces Lily.

Alice looks concerned. "What -?" she gasps. "Lily, what's that mark on your cheek?"

"The place Miranda's hand connected to."

Alice stares at her incredulously. "Tell me everything."

Lily tells her everything that happened, starting with James and her walking to Hogsmeade.

"It was great, Al," she smiles, reminiscing. "I felt a real connection between us that I've never felt before and that I can't explain."

"Lily Evans can't explain something? It must be a sign of the apocalypse!"

Lily sticks her tongue out in response.

"_Anyway_," she continues. "Later on we met up with Remus and Margaret and then Miranda and Kristina showed up, arm-in-arm."

"Ah, never a more perfect pair," smirks Alice.

"You could feel it drop ten degrees when she came over. Miranda was really the only one who talked though and it was just insulting Marlene and I."

"Wow, she's really matured with age," says Alice dryly.

"The only time Kristina really spoke was to ask where Sirius was and Miranda continued insulting Marlene and I just got so fed up with her," said Lily, practically spitting fire. "So I called her a vindictive bitch –"

"Good on you."

" – And that's how I got this," Lily indicates to her cheek. "It doesn't matter though. I mean, I _did_ take thirty points from Gryffindor…"

"The others must have been thrilled about that," laughs Alice.

"Margaret certainly wasn't and she made that perfectly clear. Remus and James though…they made it clear they weren't thrilled but both backed up my decision. I'm sure if Sirius had been there he would have wanted me to slap her back instead because you know how much he loves catfights. Remember Dorcas and Margaret?"

"How could I forget?"

_-Flashback-_

_"So, you and Remus seem to be spending a lot of time together, huh?"_

_"Jealous?"_

_"Not really. I just hope you know that Remus doesn't stay with any girl for too long."_

_"Why's that?"_

_"Well, I know but why don't you ask your _boyfriend?_ Then again, clearly you're not that special to him if he hasn't told you already."_

_"Take it back."_

_"Take what back?"_

_"Guys, stop!"_

_"Moony, you are one damn lucky dude."_

_"Are we going to do anything?"_

"_I'll go get some popcorn – alright, alright."_

_"Are you guys okay?" asks Remus, looking at the pair of them. Margaret nods and walks up the girls' dormitory stairs and slams her door shut. Dorcas follows suit seeing as they share a dormitory._

_"One of them probably should have gone the other way."_

_"I'm going to go up and make sure neither of them kill the other."_

_"'Night."_

_-End Flashback-_

"Those were good times," laughs Lily, and Alice is laughing also. "Well, not really but they're funny now to look back at now that we're friends with Dorcas again."

"That's for sure," Alice nods. "Do you know where Marlene is?"

Lily shrugs. "I haven't seen her since this morning. Something tells me I probably don't want to do my rounds any time soon." Lily groans and stands up. "Too bad Professor McGonagall would have my head."

Alice laughs and walks out with Lily to the common room. They walk over to where the Marauders and Frank are sitting, minus Sirius. Lily groans.

"We have to do rounds and neither Sirius nor Marlene are here," she explains. James makes a face.

"I hope to Merlin we don't have another run in with them," he whispers to Lily.

"Secrets, secrets are no fun unless you share with everyone," sings Alice.

"Trust me, this type of secret is best kept one," says Lily wisely. "Come on James, let's get this over with."

They walk out of the common room, ignoring the stares from their friends.

"Do you think they're hiding something?" asks Margaret.

"Oh, most definitely," smiles Remus. "I suggest if it has to do with Sirius and Marlene, however, we don't pry. It may be something very disturbing."

"But secrets aren't fun unless you share with everyone!" pouts Alice.

"They also wouldn't be secrets anymore," points out Frank, much to Alice's annoyance.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You don't think they're in that room having –" begins Lily but stops midsentence.

"I hope not," replies James. "If they are though, I say we walk away."

"I told Marlene though that I'd have to go to Professor McGonagall if we caught her again!"

"Why'd you say that?"

"Because being Heads means we can't play favorites with people. We're supposed to be unbiased to _everyone_ and not make exceptions. We could get in trouble for not giving them a punishment last time!"

"It wasn't like we were _supposed_ to find them!"

"That doesn't matter! What if it had been Professor McGonagall who found them? Then what? Do you think _she_ would have let them off with a warning and skip back to the common room?"

"Why are you so determined to punish our friends?" James asks heatedly, stopping in the middle of the corridor. "Just because they've had sex you only got laid once –" He slaps his hand over his mouth.

"I cannot believe you just said that," whispers Lily, tears threatening to fall. "Look, I'll go finish rounds. Why don't you just go back to the common room?"

"Lily, I –" begins James frantically.

"GO!" she screams. She turns on her heel and begins speed walking in the other direction.

James makes to run after her when someone grabs his arm.

"Let her go, Prongs," says Sirius. "She'll only become angrier if you go chasing after her trying to act like her 'knight in shining armour'."

"I'm an eejit, Pads," James groans. "Just throw me off the Astronomy Tower right now, please!"

"We already knew that Prongs and as appealing as that sounds, Lily loves you, that's a given. You wouldn't want to commit suicide and get me arrested for homicide when we both know it'll be counterproductive."

"It doesn't seem like she loves me."

"If she doesn't have deep feelings for you, why'd she get so upset?" asks Sirius.

"Erm – perhaps because I just completely disregarded the fact that she was raped last summer?"

"While it may be a touchy subject, if she didn't care for you she would have stayed around to kick your arse like the old Lily Evans and not start crying and run off."

"The way you present your evidence astounds me."

"One of my greatest gifts."

"One of your _only_ gifts," coughs James. Sirius punches him on the arm but laughs and begins walking back to the common room with his best mate.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily runs down several flights of stairs, tears streaming behind her, and when she reaches the fourth floor she collapses in a heap. She does not know what is wrong with her. Usually she _never_ lets what people say upset her but with James it is different. Perhaps it is because she has grown so close to him this past year…or maybe it is because the person you love tends to hurt you the most.

She gets up, brushing off her skirt and continues walking the corridors aimlessly, taking points from students out of bed but only halfheartedly.

Eventually she begins making her way back to the Heads dormitory, dreading having to see James but knowing that avoiding him will be impossible. Plus, she is not fifteen-years-old anymore. She does not hide from her "crush" or more if something goes wrong. She will just go on with her life regularly with as _limited_ contact as possible with James.

"Lemon drops," she says to the portrait wearily. It swings open and she sees Marlene sitting on the couch staring into the fire. Her eyes also look wet but that could be the lighting.

"Marlene, what's wrong?" asks Lily, sitting down next to her best friend. She realizes her friend has in fact been crying.

Marlene looks at Lily. "I talked to Sirius earlier like you guys suggested," she whispers.

"And?"

"It went horrible. He got defensive and come to think of it, so did I. He…"

"What Marlene?" presses Lily. "What happened?"

Marlene just shakes her head but then looks at Lily properly. "Lily, what's wrong? You look as if you've been crying!"

"Don't change the subject!" she objects. She does not want to talk about James in all honesty right now.

"I damn well get to change the subject if I'm concerned about my best friend," snaps Marlene. Lily smiles weakly and Marlene groans. "Oh good God, it's James, isn't it? What happened? Didn't you date go great?"

"It did," says Lily. "But then…" She recounts everything that had been said, albeit somewhat awkwardly since it has to do with Marlene and Sirius.

"Oh Lily, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is, if we hadn't been in that freakingly obvious classroom where anyone could find us you guys never would have fought!"

"You don't know that. Part of James and my relationship _is_ arguing. It's what makes us who we are today and I don't think I'd have it any other way. Besides, _he's_ the one who said what he did when I had in fact more than once, the second time against my will."

"I'm so sorry Lily," whispers Marlene at a loss for words. "It must be horrible to fight with someone you care so deeply about."

"That's it though, isn't it? We tend to fight with the people we care about the most and you have to have _some_ feelings, whether it's love or extreme loathing, about someone if you can put so much into disagreeing with them."

Marlene smiles. "You're probably one of the wisest people I know, Lily."

"Thanks but I beg to differ since we both know Professor Dumbledore."

Marlene laughs. "Well, you're a close second. Come on, why don't we head down to the kitchens for a late night snack. I think we could both use a little excursion."

"You know I could never allow that!"

"Who says you have to? You could simply have been sleepwalking because you were still hungry after dinner and all."

"Enlighten me on what your excuse would be," Lily laughs.

"I saw you sleepwalking and I decided to run after you because I was concerned you would have a run-in with a nasty Slytherin by accident." Lily still looks uncertain. "Come on, we can get our stories straight later. Let's go!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So, how was rounds?" asks Remus when James arrives back with Sirius to the boys' dormitories.

James groans and bangs his head against the wall of his previous bed repeatedly.

"It didn't go too well," Sirius whispers.

"Really, I hadn't noticed," says Remus dryly.

"What happened?" asks Peter. "Weren't you guys happy when you left?"

"We _were_."

"What'd you do, Prongs?" asks Remus.

"WHY DO YOU ALWAYS ASSUME IT WAS _ME_ WHO DID SOMETHING?"

"Well, was it not you?"

James averts his eyes. "No, it was." He groans. "Damn it Moony, I royally screwed up this time!"

"What else is new? Remember when you called her as good as a Death Eater? Déjà vü much?"

James scowls at Sirius. "Thanks Pads, you always know how to make a guy feel better."

"No problemo, compadre!"

Remus rolls his eyes. "So, what'd you do this time?"

James looked at Sirius who sighs and nods. James had told him what had happened on their way back.

James turns back to Remus and tells them what happened.

"Basically, I threw the fact that she had been raped at her without realizing it," finishes James miserably.

Remus stares at him for a moment. "You've said a lot of bad things to Lily, James, but this one surely takes the cake. What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't."

"At least he's not in denial," jokes Peter, trying to lighten the mood. Just then the door opens and Frank walks into the room.

"Hey guys – oh Merlin, what'd you say to Lily?" he asks, recognizing the grim faces.

"How the hell could you guess that I said something to Lily?" cries James.

"I've been living with you four for the past six years, please don't insult my intelligence."

"A fair point," nods Sirius. "He even knows to run out when we begin wrestling!"

"Well yeah, especially after that one last year! What was it that Sirius was going to say about you anyway, Remus?"

Remus winces and Sirius gapes at Frank, shocked that he could even remember that, let alone care about it.

"I honestly don't remember," says Remus simply. "I'll be back in a little bit, I'm going to go visit Margaret."

The others nod and are silent as he walks out of the room and down the stairs.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Mm, I _love_ chocolate chip cookies!" cries Lily. Marlene grins.

"And _you_ didn't wanna come here," she smirks. Lily sticks out her tongue and hops onto the counter just as the house elves come with more cookies and a large chocolate cake.

"You made them bake a _cake?"_ cries Lily.

Marlene shrugs innocently. "What's the harm? We're both hungry and depressed."

"Speak for yourself, I'm not depressed!"

"Really? I think the gallon of milk you just drank and the dozen of cookies speak otherwise."

"I was hungry!"

"My point exactly. Thank you," says Marlene, as the house elves put the food next to Lily. They bow and retreat to their respective corners.

"We're going to get fat," murmurs Lily.

"I'm already there."

"No you are not!" Marlene raises an eyebrow. "Don't give me that look! You are _not_ fat!"

"Sirius said so last year."

"Sirius was and _is_ a git who says stuff that isn't true just to get a rouse out of people. Don't take what he said seriously!"

Marlene shrugs and eats a brownie.

"You never told me what he said," Lily says, changing the subject slightly.

Marlene is silent as she takes a drink of some butterbeer.

"I'll backtrack so it makes more sense in context," she whispers.

_-Flashback-_

"_H-How's your Transfiguration project going?"_

"_Erm – fine, I suppose. I mean working with Daniels is no treat but it's getting done…"_

"_What exactly do you guys do in the library?"_

"_What are you playing at? What do you _think_ we're doing in there?"_

"_I'm merely wondering –"_

"_No, you're beating around asking if I was flirting with her behind your back and the answer is no. Why don't you just admit that you don't trust me?"_

"_Fine, I'm finding it incredibly difficult to trust you, Sirius."_

"_Sirius?"_

"_What?"_

"_I'm sorry Sirius, you know how hard it is for me to trust people and your reputation is –"_

"_My reputation isn't me anymore, Marlene! I stopped hooking up with random girls, including Kristina, months ago! Tell me, have you always felt this way or is it only because I'm suddenly not attached to your hip 24/7 that you're beginning to worry. Honestly, I'd like to know because I fear you have forgotten that I don't like clingy bitches."_

"_You take that back Sirius Orion Black. Never have I once been clingy to you these past several months and I am only worrying now because I know what Daniels is capable of!"_

"_And I don't? I dated her and spent more time in bed with her than –"_

_-End Flashback-_

"He didn't," gasped Lily, and Marlene nods. She looks down at the now crushed cookie in her hand. "I'm so sorry Marlene, he had no right defending her."

"I don't think he meant to but it came out before he could stop it," she whispers. "That's not it though. After dinner he suddenly disappeared…"

"Yeah, I noticed he wasn't there when I looked for you," says Lily confused. "Please, continue."

"Well, I went looking for him after and…" Marlene sighs. "I thought I saw him in the library working with Daniels on their project."

"Well, that's not _horrible_ –" Marlene shakes her head.

"She was flirting with him _again_ and…he was letting her."

If Lily's jaw had not been attached to her head it would have fallen off then. She cannot believe a word she is hearing.

"He was – no, that can't be, Marlene! He was so adamant that he won't stand for that at the welcome feast!"

"Something's obviously changed," she says softly. Lily shakes her head.

"No, there has to be an explanation."

"I can't even explain it, Lily. I got…so _mad_ when I saw her flirting with him and remembered the flings they had constantly up until this year…"

"I don't blame you, I'd be furious too if I saw someone flirting with James."

Marlene nods. "Anyway, I wasn't exactly subtle –"

"That never has been a strong suit of yours."

" – And I marched over to where they were and basically kicked her out. Merlin, Lily, I could kick myself because her face showed blatantly that I did what she hoped I would do."

"After, I demanded to know what they were talking about from Sirius and he kind of looked at me strangely and said it was about _History of Magic_. That's the best part, it wasn't _even_ Transfiguration. I know that's a load of bullshit though, he always sleeps in History of Magic! No, it has to be about something more than that."

"Or she could simply be just looking for an excuse to talk to him, in which case I think you should let it be."

"Why?"

"You're worried that he'll go for her and dump you, right? I'm _convinced_ that if Sirius loves you _half_ as much as he says he does, he would never go after Kristina. She's a 'been there, done that' and I can tell that by the way he looks at you, he doesn't want to go back."

"I hope you're right, Lily," says Marlene worriedly, "because I don't think I would be able to take losing him. Not after all we've been through."

"So, did you guys have a fight again?"

Marlene hesitates. "Yeah. It ended with us getting nowhere though. By that point Madam Pomfrey had kicked us out though…"

"I'm sure he only brushed you off because he was still pissed that you were questioning his loyalty. By tomorrow he'll be over it and you guys will be fine again."

"I hope so." Marlene bites down on her lip as the door to the kitchen opens. The two whip around but relax when they realize it is only Remus.

"Evening ladies," he greets.

"Hey Remus," they chorus.

"How come you're down here and not with Margaret?" Lily asks. "Not that we're not happy to see a friendly face."

Remus smiles. "She decided to turn in and I was feeling a little claustrophobic in our dormitory. Frank had come in and he was wondering what Sirius almost admitted during that wrestling match last year."

"Oh, Merlin," murmurs Marlene. "What'd you do?"

"Feigned not remembering and left saying that I needed to take a walk," laughs Remus. He cuts a piece of the cake and puts it on a plate for himself. "So, what are we talking about?"

"The eejit guys we're dating," snickers Lily. "Feel free to jump in at any point."

Remus rolls his eyes. "Sorry, I can't relate since I'm straight."

"That rhymed!" cries Marlene. Remus rolls his eyes again and snorts before turning to look at Lily.

"I heard what James said to you though and I don't whether you'd be glad or not to know that even he realizes he was out of line."

Lily looks at the marble countertop. "I don't know whether I'm glad or not either."

Remus sighs. "Look Lily, you and James have something special, there's no denying it because that would be just plain stupid. Yet for whatever reason, whenever you guys get close, one does something to make the other push away. It's been like a back-and-forth tug of war game from day one and it seems to be a recurring pattern for you two."

Both Lily and Marlene are silent; Lily contemplating what Remus has just said and Marlene watching both of them steadily.

"It's a hard pattern to break," whispers Lily. "Speaking for just myself, I know I must try to get him to push away at times because I'm afraid of getting in too deep."

"What are you worried about? James losing interest in you and finding someone else?" Lily nods. "Lily, you're crazy! I've never seen James so smitten with someone like he is with you!"

"Who the hell uses the term smitten?" asks Marlene, choking on her drink.

Remus throws a brownie at her, which she skillfully dodges with great ease.

"Who wants to play truth or truth?" asks Marlene, getting back to her original position. Suddenly the previous topic is forgotten.

"Let me guess, the whole game revolves around making people tell the truth," says Remus dryly.

"Ding, ding, ding! Okay Remus, I'll ask you a question first," says Marlene. "If you could take back anything that you've ever done or not done, what would it be?"

"Waiting so long to tell Margaret how I feel," replies Remus without batting an eye. He then hesitates. "And that I still haven't told her that I…that I love her."

Lily and Marlene look at each other with wide eyes and shriek so loudly that several house elves drop their frying pans. Remus covers his ears in pain and glowers at them.

"Tell her! Tell her!" choruses Lily and Marlene, and Remus groans.

"I've never particularly wanted my own Greek choir."

Lily laughs. "Come on Remus, you _have_ to tell her or we'll explode. Just imagine how guilty you'd feel if you had to watch the house elves clean up our remains."

Remus groans and puts down his cake and pushes it away.

"Suddenly images of the fourth of July fireworks in America are going off in my minds eye, except instead you guys are attached to the firecrackers and you're lighting up the night sky.

Lily and Marlene look at each other.

"Well, I wasn't going to take it that far but that sounds lovely, I've always dreamed of being strapped to a firecracker and exploding for millions of Muggles," Marlene replies sarcastically.

"So, do I ask the next question?" he asks. Marlene nods. "_Marlene_ – _Marlene groans_ – who was your first shag?"

Marlene looks at him confused. "Sirius told you guys that way back when. Why do you want to waste a question on that?"

"Because I want to actually hear _you_ say it," grins Remus.

Marlene scowls at him. "Chuck Blaire in our third year."

"Hmm, more than I asked for," smirks Remus. Marlene throws a cookie at him but he only catches it in his mouth. "Yum. Okay, it's your turn again."

"Lily…hmm I know too much about you," she groans, and Lily laughs. "Ooh, okay, would you ever consider marrying James if he asked?"

"I don't know! I'm only seventeen for Merlin's sake!" cries Lily. "_Plus_, I really don't feel comfortable answering that with one of his friends in the room!"

"Aw come on, I won't squeal," says Remus, genuinely interested. "Have I ever betrayed you?"

"No, but you're a Marauder so it's bound to happen eventually," says Lily, only semi-joking.

"Come on, you can trust me. I won't tell if you promise not to let on how I feel to Margaret."

Lily sighs and still seems hesitant but she gives in and nods. "_Fine_. I guess if he asked me…yes. Only though if I was ready and I _wasn't_ seventeen-years-old _and_ still in school!"

"Fair enough," grins Marlene. "Now all we need to do is tell James…"

"MARLENE!"

"I'm just kidding!" cries Marlene, jumping off her stool as Lily begins chasing her. "Remus, help me!"

"Nah, this is far more entertaining," grins Remus. "I'd love to see a Lily vs. Marlene fight."

"You've been hanging out with Sirius too much," calls Lily from the other side of the room. "I think he's starting to rub off on you!"

"Tell me something I don't know," says Remus more to himself than the girls.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So Pads, why were you out tonight anyway?" asks James as they lay sprawled out on the Head couches.

"Why do you care? Are you going to report me to the Head girl?" he teases.

"Nah, I don't think she'll be in any rush to talk to me anytime soon."

Sirius laughs and swings his legs off the back of the couch so he is sitting straight up. He looks solemn now instead of joking.

"I was taking a walk. Marlene and I had a fight of sorts."

"What happened?"

Sirius explains what went down in Hogsmeade and then later in the library and how Marlene had reacted to seeing Kristina by him.

"To tell you the truth, Marlene's suspicions were right. Daniels wasn't asking me about History of Magic," says Sirius guiltily. "She asked me out."

"_What?"_

"I know. I obviously told her no and that's when Marlene came over and I lied to her. I didn't want to upset her."

"I think you managed that already, Pads," sighs James. "You should have told Marlene that. She's bound to find out and it'll blow up in your face one way or another."

"How's that?"

"Well, if Daniels goes and mocks her with it she'll be angry with you for hearing it from her," explains James. "But if you tell her, she'll still be angry that you lied to her in the beginning. If you had just told her straight out her anger would have been solely towards Kristina."

Sirius groans. "So basically it's a lose-lose situation!"

"Hey, you brought this upon yourself!"

"Thanks, I really needed that," says Sirius sarcastically.

"Sometimes things just need to be told how they are."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You two should probably start heading back to the Gryffindor Tower and me the Head dorms," says Lily, catching her breath after chasing Marlene several times around the kitchen. "We wouldn't want to risk getting caught."

"Oh yes, we wouldn't want Miss Evans to lose her badge," mocks Marlene. Lily sticks her tongue out at her and pushes her and Remus out of the portrait hole.

"I'll lead the way and if anyone asks why you two are here, we'll stick to the story that Remus was also patrolling and you lost the time while studying in the library and I already reprimanded you."

"Why do I have to get in trouble?" sulks Marlene. "Besides, who would believe that _I_ was studying?"

"Because you don't have a badge on the line and just go with it," snaps Lily. "Come on, let's go!"

They walk in silence towards the Gryffindor Tower, not meeting anyone along the way. They are almost there when they hear a slight rustle.

"What's that?" asks Remus, his werewolf senses kicking in.

"What?" asks Lily.

"Shh." They are silent and they hear the noise again.

"_Lumos_," whispers Lily. She points her wand down the dark corridor. "Show yourself! Is that you, Peeves?"

They see a figure reveal themselves and know it cannot be Peeves because they are walking on solid ground and have long, brown hair.

"Who's there? Show yourself," repeats Lily.

The figure smirks and comes into the glow of the wand light, only to reveal Kristina.

"What are you doing here?" sneers Marlene.

"I could ask you the same question," retorts Kristina.

"_I_ was studying in the library and Remus was patrolling, as was Lily. Your turn."

"I was out," says Kristina simply.

"Detention, this Monday night," says Lily coldly. "Now tell us the real reason you were out."

Kristina ignores her. "How's Sirius?" she asks Marlene.

Marlene stiffens. "What's it to you?"

"Well we _did_ use to go out and he _is_ my Transfiguration project partner."

"You went out two years ago for a week and just because he's your partner does _not_ give you the right to worry about him!"

"Like hell it doesn't! Sirius and I have always had something special and you've just gotten in the way of it."

Marlene snorts. "You and Sirius had _nothing_." Kristina's eyes flash.

"You'd better watch yourself, McKinnon. Sirius isn't used to having a long-term girlfriend, especially one as territorial as you. He might one day just get too fed up and leave you for someone else."

"Like who?" snarls Marlene.

"Me. Didn't he tell you that I asked him out today?"

Lily gasps and Remus groans. Marlene looks ready to explode.

"What shite are you talking about now?" she asks harshly.

"In the library before you stormed over to us," elaborates Kristina. "I asked Sirius out but he said no. I know though that it's only a matter of time before he caves in. You played your role perfectly McKinnon, acting the role as the overprotective girlfriend. Guys don't like clingy girls."

Marlene glares at her. "He'll never dig so far to the bottom of the barrel."

Kristina glares right back at her. "We'll see," is all she says. She smirks at the three friends' expressions and walks off in the opposite direction.

"That girl is a piece of work," mutters Remus. "She gives Miranda a run for her money."

"Are you okay, Marlene?" asks Lily concerned. "Sirius probably just didn't want to upset –"

"Save it," says Marlene, holding up her hand. "He lied to me and that's the extent of it."

"It's not that black and white, Marlene," begs Remus. "Don't do anything –"

"I don't care! We promised that we would tell each other everything but apparently he's above that rule as well! Well, he's going to regret lying to me, I can promise you that much."

"What are you going to do?" asks Lily nervously.

"I don't know yet but I do know that it's going to start and end with a little talk with Sirius."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: I got the riddle idea from PottedLilies story _Raindrops, Flowers and Wishing Wells_.


	36. Frustration

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**A/N:** I do not own I Could Not Ask For More by Edwin McCain or Don't You Wanna Stay by Jason Aldean ft. Kelly Clarkson.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 36 – Frustration

Lily is slightly unnerved when Marlene storms back into the common room without a word of goodnight. She has a feeling she is going to confront Sirius and is caught off guard when she sees both James and Sirius in the Heads common room.

"Hey Lily-bean," Sirius greets.

"Sirius," she acknowledges.

"Lily," says James nervously.

"James." She says nothing else and opens the wall that only recognizes her hand when she presses it against it. She walks in it and up the stairs. When James hears the door slam, he groans.

"At least she acknowledged your presence without yelling," says Sirius, trying to make him feel better. "That's better than your first five years here."

"I wish I could take it back, Padfoot," sighs James, running his hand through his hair for the first time in a while. "I wish I had never said that stupid comment to her! It just slipped out!"

"Maybe we should _both_ listen to that ten second rule," grins Sirius. James smiles slightly too.

"Everything was so much simpler last year," he sighs. Sirius shakes his head.

"Not completely. Back then both Lily and Marlene hated us completely. Now at least they'll talk to us and hang out with us. And _kiss_ us."

"I think I just ruined it with Lily."

"Don't worry, mate. She's not going to stay mad at you forever!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You're not going to be mad at him forever, are you?" asks Alice the next morning. Lily shakes her head.

"No but I'm not in the mood to sit by him today. Every time I do I think of those rounds when he said it. Will you sit with me at the other end of the table?"

Alice sighs. "Fine but you'll have to talk to him eventually."

"I know that. I mean, we're both Heads, after all. I'll cross that bridge when we get to it, though."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"We need to talk," says Marlene, that same morning. She had not seen Sirius all last night.

"About what?" asks Sirius, although he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had purposely stayed in the Head dorms so he would not have to face Marlene yet. He had been rehearsing what he wants to say to her but he has forgot it.

"Why'd you lie to me?" asks Marlene without preamble. "I knew it had to be something other than History of Magic but why didn't you tell me she asked you out?"

Sirius inwardly groans. He can see the hurt in Marlene's eyes, even though she is desperately trying to hide it. He has always admired her strength.

"I'm so sorry, Marley –" he begins.

"Don't call me that."

"Sorry. I just didn't want to upset you and I thought saying that it was just about class would make you less prone to go after her."

"Why would you care if I go after her? By the way you made it sound on our first day here, you didn't give a damn about her."

"You're right, I don't give a damn about Daniels but that's not the point."

"Then what is?" asks Marlene irritably.

"Kristina says nasty stuff, stuff that's further than a stretch of the truth," explains Sirius. "If I know her she is bound to make more out of asking me out then what actually happened."

"What happened then in your opinion?" she asks.

"I was in the library working, like you know –" he begins.

"That's also where I'm confused. Since when do you go to the library and do work?"

Sirius scowls at her. "I know it may seem hard to believe but I _do_ care about my grades."

Marlene immediately feels bad for making such a harsh accusation towards him.

"I'm sorry. Please, continue."

"She walked into the library and asked me out bluntly, no introduction or anything. I immediately said no but she continued flirting with me and I was about to yell at her when you came over and basically kicked her out and questioned my loyalty again."

"She fabricated over that part. She didn't say that she flirted with you afterwards. She made it seem like she talked for a while, then asked you out, then you said no and I came over."

"That's because she's a deceitful and manipulative person and you can't expect any less from someone like her. You have to believe me, Marlene, I would never do anything to hurt you. I just got so angry in Hogsmeade and said stupid things."

"I believe you," says Marlene, almost immediately.

Sirius' upset face turns into a smile that stretches from ear-to-ear. She walks over to him and gives him a hug, which he takes as her saying that everything is okay.

"I hate fighting with you," she whispers into his chest.

"Not nearly as much as I do with you. I love you, Marlene."

"I love you too, Sirius."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Where do you think Marlene is?" asks Alice.

"I think she wanted to talk with Sirius before they came down," Lily says uncomfortably.

"What happened? Did they have a fight?"

"Yeah." Lily explains what happened last night and what Kristina said.

"Wow. Remus is right, she really is something."

"I know. I just hope Marlene's and Sirius' relationship doesn't get wrecked because of her."

As if on cue, Marlene and Sirius walk in hand-in-hand, talking in whispers to each other. The whole Great Hall stares at them in surprise, especially Kristina but her surprise is soon replaced with disgust.

"Kristina doesn't look too happy," James notes.

"Good," says Sirius, sitting down. He looks up at Marlene. "You sitting here?" She shakes her head.

"I'm going to see what's up with Alice and Lily. I'll catch up with you guys later." Sirius nods and Marlene kisses him before walking over to her other friends.

"So, you and Sirius are all good now?" grins Lily. "I told you!"

"What can I say? Lily knows all, all hail Lily," jokes Marlene.

Lily rolls her eyes and continues to butter her scone, mostly to distract herself because she can feel James' eyes on her.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"How will I get her to forgive me, Moony?" James asks, staring at Lily. "She's now sitting at the other end of the table!"

"Give her some time, Prongs. Sometimes when a girl is angry you just need to give them some space. Wouldn't you prefer not talking than an all out row?" James sighs and nods.

"But by not going after her won't that make it seem like he doesn't care then?" asks Peter. Remus shakes his head.

"Lily's shown that she's not interested in talking to James right now. Give it a few days then just start to make conversation with her."

"That seems like a load of rubbish," states Sirius, while shoveling eggs into his mouth.

"No Sirius, rubbish is most of the stuff that comes out of _your_ mouth. Speaking of your mouth, why don't you try closing when you eat?" suggests Remus.

Sirius shrugs and continues eating anything and everything that does not eat him first. Remus sighs and looks at his watch.

"What's wrong? It's not like we have classes today," says James confused.

"I know, but I said I'd meet someone," says Remus briefly. He stands up. "I'll meet up with you guys later."

"Wait, whom are you meeting with?" calls Sirius. Remus just waves a hand over his shoulder and does not reply.

"Why do I get the feeling that something is up with Remus?" asks Peter.

"Because something is," replies James.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Remus walks down the corridors, lost in thought. He had had that same dream about Margaret and the killing curse last night and it is driving him crazy. This time, however, it had a slight twist to it.

_-Dream-_

_"I like you Remus, I – l-like you a lot," whispers Margaret. It is like the day she had first admitted to liking him except this time she is standing over him wearing all white._

"_Why didn't you tell me before?" he asks. His voice sounds distant, almost hollow._

"_I was afraid."_

"_Afraid of what? I love you, Margaret!" She leans closer, indicating she cannot hear him. "Margaret! I LOVE you!"_

"_**Why don't you love me, Remus? I always cared more for you then you did for me."**_

"_**No! THAT'S NOT TRUE!"**_

"_**I don't understand Remus, why don't you love me?"**_

"_**I DO LOVE YOU MARGARET! MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER KNOW!"**_

_She begins sliding further and further away from him into the light._

"_NO!" screams Remus. He tries chasing after her but he is glued to the spot. "NO! MARGARET! I LOVE YOU! DON'T – NO!"_

_There is a flash of green light that does not miss –_

_-End Dream-_

He wipes his eyes and continues walking to the desired destination. The worst part of this new addition to the dream is that it is probably true. He still has not told Margaret how much she means to him and she must think that the feelings are only one way. He vows to tell her later how he truly feels.

He reaches the classroom that he was instructed to go to and opens the door.

He had never been in this room before, seeing as it is no longer a classroom. It has been out of use for several decades and only holds a single mirror.

Remus walks over to the mirror, with great interest.

"Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi," he reads to himself. "I show not your face but your heart's desire…" he speaks.

Indeed he does. Looking directly in the mirror, he sees him and Margaret standing there, holding hands. They are both dressed for a wedding and there are children standing around them that look remarkably like the two of them. They are all smiling at him but he finds he cannot smile back.

He sighs and wishes he can stare at them for a lifetime but knows that is impractical.

"Are you done?" comes a cold voice from behind him.

He hides his surprise and turns around slowly.

"Why did you ask me to meet with you?" he asks with as much coolness.

"I need a favour."

"Why would I do anything for you?"

"Because I can blow your secret sky-high if you don't."

Remus stiffens. "What kind of favour are we talking about?"

Miranda smirks. "I request Severus Snape's assistance for a project."

"What kind of project?"

"That's none of your concern. So, get me Severus Snape or you'll find the whole school, including those on the board, knows that you're a werewolf by tomorrow morning."

"So, basically I'm being blackmailed and I have no choice?"

"Very good," sneers Miranda. "So, will you do it?"

Remus sighs. "Why are you asking me and not one of his friends who he'll actually listen to?"

"Because I trust you'll get the job done and I don't have such a stake over them as I do with you." She walks up to Remus and caresses his arm. "Besides, I find that when stakes are high, people find they can be _very_ persuasive." He bites his tongue and resists from throwing her arm off.

"And if he doesn't listen to me?"

"Then I guess you'd better get used to being viewed as a menace." Remus glares at her.

"Fine, I'll do it," he growls. He walks out of the room and slams the door behind him. Miranda smirks and waits several minutes before following him out.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Perhaps it's just me but have you noticed Remus has been MIA for a while?" asks Margaret.

Lily nods. "Yeah, and the other Marauders have been talking in hushed voices all day, very unlike them."

"Do you know what's also unlike them?" asks Alice. "They haven't pulled a prank this whole year!"

"Hmm, you're right," says Marlene. "Although their main target was Snape and now that James swore to you he wouldn't touch him the pranks have died down."

Lily shifts in her sheet and bites down on her quill.

"Do you find it strange that James hasn't tried 101 ways to get me to forgive him?"

Alice shrugs. "Do you _want_ him to try and get you to forgive him?"

Lily also shrugs. "I don't know, it's just sort of unsettling. I mean, usually he'd be bugging me every second apologizing but he hasn't said anything since last night."

"Perhaps he respects that you get annoyed when he constantly apologizes?" suggests Margaret.

"Yeah, I guess."

Marlene throws down her quill. "I think it's time you be honest with James, Lily. You seem to be giving him mixed signals and when he does exactly what you always claim to want you wonder why he's doing it."

Lily looks at her best friend in surprise. "Where'd that little outburst come from?"

"That 'little thing' inside of me called frustration! You keep playing games with him and can't you see how much it hurts him? Or do you just not care?"

Lily narrows her eyes. "How dare you? Of course I care, and I don't try to hurt him! It's not as black and white as all of that! He's the one that hurt me!"

Marlene scoffs. "You've hurt him more ways than you know, Lily. He's got nothing on you when it comes to hurting the other!"

She stuffs her books and quills in her bag and storms upstairs. Lily looks at Alice and Margaret who look quite shocked.

"_Where did that come from?"_ she asks.

"I don't know Lily but you have to admit she does have a point," says Alice.

"Oh no, not you too!" She turns to Margaret. "Do you agree with them too?" Margaret sighs and nods feebly.

"All I'm saying is that you should stop to consider how much pain James has felt these past six years where you're concerned. I know he's hurt you six ways to Sunday but really _think._ Honestly think about how hard it must be to not be able to give up on the person who's constantly refused to have anything to do with you."

Lily is silent, knowing that all three of her friends are right. She looks over to where James is sitting and sees that he is looking over at them confused. He must have seen Marlene storm off.

Lily averts her eyes from him and looks back at Alice.

"I finally said yes to him but I still get too close. Why is it so hard for me to let him in?" she whispers so only Alice and Margaret can hear.

Margaret smiles slightly. "Love's a scary thing and is typically treated with great caution, making people push the one's they love away. It's safer to love from a distance because that way it saves the pain of finding out that the person you love doesn't love you back." She pauses. "However, doing that also is unhealthy and only results in pain." She thinks about Remus and wonders if he loves her like she so obviously loves him.

Lily nods and looks down at her Herbology assignment she had been trying to finish.

"I'm going to go for a walk," she says. Alice and Margaret nod and watch her as she stands up and packs her stuff in her bag. She continues to watch as she walks out of the common room and looks down at her watch. After five minutes she looks at James and sees he is staring at where Lily had been previously sitting.

He notices Alice staring at him and smiled slightly.

"Go after her," she mouths.

James raises an eyebrow and when she nods he stands up as well and says something to his friends before walking out after Lily.

"What'd you just do?" asks Margaret curiously. Alice turns to look at her.

"Hopefully push two people who love each other back together."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I'll be back in a little bit," says James.

"Where are you going?" asks Sirius.

"Just for a walk," he lies. "I need to clear my head a bit."

Sirius surveys him once and then says, "Good luck."

James smiles and walks out after Lily, hoping to find her outside by the lake.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Remus wanders down the corridors, purposefully heading towards an abandoned Potions classroom. He knows Severus had used it on several occasions prior because he had caught him during his patrol of the dungeons and sent him on his way.

He walked to the door that he knows to be the unused classroom and opens it without knocking. He notes that Severus jumps in surprise when the door opens but sneers when he sees who it is.

"Don't you have any manners, werewolf? Or is it part of your nature to do things out of _instinct?"_

Remus glowers at the Slytherin, furious that he would even make such a comment.

"You are so unbelievably lucky that James was there that night or I could have done something that I would regret."

"Oh _would_ you?" sneers Severus. "Tell me, to what do I owe this visit?"

"You have a request from Miranda Harris, to pay her a visit," complies Remus. "Not that I enjoy playing messenger but I found it prudent to do as she wishes in alerting you. She wants to meet with you tomorrow evening at midnight in the abandoned Charms classroom."

Severus skillfully hides his extreme interest. What would one of the most popular, most snotty girls in the school want with a nobody like him? Help on an assignment, perhaps?

"Why?"

"She wouldn't tell me. She just said to come then and don't be late."

"What kind of leverage does she have over you?"

"Enough of the twenty questions," snaps Remus. "Just meet her then." He reopens the door and walks out without another word.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James walks down the corridors slowly. He does not want to catch up with Lily until he gets outside, where he is almost positive that she is.

He looks out the fifth floor window and sees that his assumption is indeed correct. There Lily is, sitting on the same tree across the lake that she did on her birthday last year.

He quickens his pace, mostly so she will not decide to go sit somewhere else. Two minutes later he is at the entry doors and steps out into the cool evening air.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Where's Lily?" asks Marlene. She had come back down several minutes after Lily had left and she had made sure of that. "She isn't angry with me, is she?"

"No, we talked her down," replies Alice, not looking up from her Transfiguration essay. "She seemed to understand where you were coming from and went for a walk."

Marlene looks over to where Sirius and Peter are sitting.

"James went after her?"

"I told him to."

"Why?" cries Marlene.

"Because they need to work this out!" snaps Alice. Marlene looks surprised. Alice hardly ever gets angry. "They can't go on avoiding each other forever!"

"Says who? It worked for the first six years that they've know each other!"

"Says who?" Alice reiterates. "Those first six years here only gave everyone, including them, more aggravation and anger."

Marlene cannot argue with that. Last year had by far been one of their better one's since Lily and James had not been constantly bickering. It is actually quite nice having the Marauders as friends. They had found that out last year as well.

"I'm going to go look for Remus," Margaret says, standing up. She deposits her bag in their dormitory and then waves to the others and exits the common room.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James walks down the slope leading to the lake slowly, wishing he had brought a jacket out with him. He sees Lily sitting positioned with her back to him and is grateful. Perhaps she will not hear him coming.

He had almost made it to her when he steps on a twig and it snaps. Inwardly cursing, he sighs as she whips around and groans.

"Oh Merlin, you followed me out here?"

"Hey, nice to see you too!"

Lily glares at him and turns to face the lake. It is really beautiful under the light of the stars. Although tonight the clouds are covering all of the stars.

James climbs up onto the tree and sits down next to her, careful to keep his distance so she will not inch away from him and fall off. He does, however, feel her stiffen beside him.

"Why'd you come out here? Your lips are turning blue!" she gasps, pointing at his face.

James smiles slightly. "Thanks for noticing. I'm fine, really."

If Lily was not so cold, she would have turned red but thankfully her face is already too blue to tell.

They are silent, the both of them staring at the Black lake. James smiles. Sirius had always claimed to him that it is really his lake but James never bought it. His great-great-grandfather did not hold that much weight, even as a Headmaster.

"I'm so sorry Lily," says James so softly that she has to strain her ears to hear him over the wind. "I know I say it so many times and it probably doesn't mean anything anymore but I truly am. What I said…it just slipped out before I could stop it."

"It was a natural thing to say," retorts Lily. "People say it all the time to each other as a joke. Why should I be any different?"

James is taken aback. "I was extremely untactful and I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to deal with that when we should be working to move past it. No one needs to relive that."

Lily turns to look at him. "Why do we keep doing this to each other? You know, this whole fight to get the other to push away. It's getting us no where and I'm pretty sure that our friends are fed up with us if they weren't already."

James grins. "Oh please, they've been fed up with us for the past six years. I'm fairly certain we've only gotten better."

"That's a scary thought."

"Isn't it?" James sighs. "I don't know Lils, I think we should give it another shot. Just start over completely fresh, you know? Pretend like we're just meeting and we can start off on a fresh slate."

Lily smiles. "I think that's a brilliant idea. Hi, I'm Lily Evans," she says, extending a hand.

"Hello Lily, my name is James Potter," says James cordially. Lily has to bite her tongue to keep from laughing out loud.

"What brings you out here, Mr. Potter? It's awful cold, don't you think?"

"I heard the view of the Black lake was breath taking," he replies. "Almost as breath taking as the view to my left." He looks directly at Lily.

She smiles and looks out at the lake again, wondering how they have gotten here.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Remus is walking back towards the Gryffindor common room, trying to think of any reason that Miranda would want Severus' assistance. The very thought of them working together on something gives him the chills, let alone makes him want to run for the hills.

He turns the corner and runs almost face-first into Margaret. He catches her before she falls and smiles at her.

"Fancy running into you here," he teases, and she laughs lightly. His insides soar at the sound of her laugh. "What has you wandering this part of the castle?"

"Looking for my boyfriend," she smirks. She then turns worried. "Where've you been, you haven't been seen since breakfast."

"I had to meet with someone," he replies shortly.

"Who?"

"No one." Margaret narrows her eyes suspiciously.

"Obviously it's someone you don't want me to know about. Why don't you just come out and say it?"

Remus sighs. "Fine. Miranda requested me to meet her."

Margaret's eyes practically bug out her head and she looks slightly mad (crazy).

"_Miranda?_ What would she want with _you?_ Wait, don't take that the wrong way, it's just she is obsessed with _James_, not –"

"I get it," says Remus, chuckling slightly.

"Why'd you meet with her? You could have just ignored her."

"No, I really couldn't," he sighs. He then lowers his voice. "She knows my secret."

If possible, Margaret's eyes bulge out even more. She looks at him in shock.

"She knows your _secret?"_ she gasps. "When? How? I swear I never spoke of it to anyone other than the others, Remus!"

"I believe you. She must have overheard someone though because she knows and she's using it as leverage against me."

"What did she want?" Margaret asks wearily.

"For me to find Snape and tell him that she requests a meeting with him."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Where's Remus?" cries Sirius, throwing down his book. "He's been gone since this morning!"

"I don't know, he just said he had some business to take care of," replies Peter meekly. "Do you think he met up with a nasty Slytherin?"

"You don't give him enough credit. Remus could take down a Slytherin with one hand tied behind his back and his eyes closed. He's second best in Charms, right after Lily and third in Defense Against the Dark Arts after James and Lily."

Just then James and Lily walk into the common room, chatting happily.

"Oh look, there's Lily and Prongs," says Peter, pointing to the pair.

"Yeah right, Lily-bean would never forgive him so fast, especially after he said something so horrible."

"And who are you to teach tact?" asks James from behind him.

"I'm wounded Sirius, I thought you'd give me a little more credit! After all, who's to say that he didn't Charm me into forgiving him?"

"Because you're much better at Charms than he is and could defeat him if it came to it," smirks Sirius.

"Thanks for always being on my side Pads."

Sirius shrugs. "No problem, mate."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Remus and Margaret are now sitting under a blanket up in the Clock Tower. They had decided they had wanted some privacy and figured this was the best place.

Margaret shivers slightly, being that she is wearing next to nothing and Remus puts an arm around her bare shoulders.

_I really hate to let this moment go,_

_Touchin' your skin, and your hair fallin' slow_

Remus smiles into Margaret's hair and for not the first time, is grateful that he helped keep her alive that time in the Potter Manor and again in the Malfoy Manor. He has never been happier and more at ease than he is right now.

_Lying here with you,_

_Listening to the rain._

_Smiling just to see,_

_The smile upon your face._

Margaret snuggles into Remus' bare chest and can hear the slow, rhythmic beat of his heart. The sound is soothing to her and she smiles herself when he smiles into her hair.

_These are the moments, I thank God that I'm alive._

_These are the moments, I'll remember all my life._

"Margaret?" Remus whispers. He is not sure how to go about saying this so he will just come out and say it.

"Mhm?"

_Every prayer has been answered,_

_Every dream I have's come true._

_And right here in this moment is right where I'm meant to be,_

_Here with you here with me._

"I love you."

_I could not ask for more than the love you give me 'Coz it's all I've waited for._

_And I could not ask for more,_

_I could not ask for more._

She looks up at him, her beautiful brown eyes full of compassion and happiness.

"I love you too Remus," she whispers.

_And I could not ask for more._

He leans down and kisses her, sending off the familiar display of fireworks. She smiles into the kiss and he rests his forehead against her own, knowing then that she is all he needs.

_And I could not ask for more._

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

At midnight exactly, Severus opens the abandoned Charms room door.

"Hello?" he says uncertainly.

"Good evening, Snape," greets Miranda, appearing from a desk. He had not noticed her there before but covers his surprise.

"Why did you get Lupin to summon me here?" he asks coolly.

Miranda smirks. "To the point. I like that in the people that I work with."

"Who says we're working together? You have yet to tell me why you summoned me here."

"We have a common goal," explains Miranda, pacing the room like a hawk.

"Really? I'm pretty sure we have virtually nothing in common," sneers Severus.

"You don't want James and Evans apart?" she asks interestedly. Severus freezes.

"I suppose," says Severus, regaining his stature.

"Then we do have something in common."

"I don't want Lily to get hurt though."

"But she'll be hurt if she stays with James, won't she?" asks Marlene, knowing all the right cards to play. "It's obvious to anyone with eyes that you fancy her, Snape." He scowls at her.

"Go on."

"Look, bottom line is that I want James and I know you want Evans. Are you in or are you out?"

Severus calculates her, contemplating everything she has said.

"Okay, I'm in."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"James!" calls Lily in the middle of the corridor. "James!"

James turns around in surprise but stops and patiently waits for her to catch up to him and then catch her breath. He had been talking to an impatient Quidditch team member about practicing tonight.

"I just wanted to let you know that we need to meet tonight to discuss more options on the Black and White Ball," she says, only noticing the other person. "Professor McGonagall wants us to have the plans done by Friday evening, that way we have exactly a month to put the plans into action."

"Sounds great. Can we meet after Quidditch though? We have practice tonight from six thirty to eight o'clock."

"All right, I'll meet you in the library at eight thirty then so you have time to get out of your uniform and shower. See you at lunch." She smiles and walks to where her friends are standing.

James watches her go, not realizing that Sirius is calling his name.

"Prongs? Prongs! JAMES!" Sirius shouts.

James nearly jumps out of his skin and glares at Sirius.

"_What?"_

"Lily-bean and Prongsie, sitting in a tree –" he begins.

"Shut up, Sirius," growls James.

"I was just going to say k-i-s-s-i-n-g." James rolls his eyes.

"Better. Come on, if we're late to Slughorn's class again he'll probably threaten to disembowel us."

"Or worse," shudders Sirius. "_Castrate_ us."

"A charming thought," quips Peter.

The three head to Potions class silently and when they enter, they see Remus has already arrived and has a big smile on his face. It does not look like it will be disappearing anytime soon.

"What's up mate?" Peter asks, sitting down next to him. James and Sirius turn around in their seats to hear also.

Remus recounts what happened in the Clock Tower, sparing them the _specific_ details. They listen with their jaws dropped and big, goofy grins on their faces. When he finishes, Peter pats him on the back and James and Sirius congratulate him.

"Congrats, mate," says James sincerely. "I'm happy for you two." The others nod and Remus smiles at the lot of them as Professor Slughorn walks in.

"Settle down class, settle down," says the Professor, sitting down at his desk.

Professor Slughorn begins going around, instructing on what they are going to review today. Margaret is not paying attention though.

"Margaret," hisses Marlene. "Professor Slughorn is staring at you."

Margaret jumps out of her daze and sees that the Professor is indeed looking at her expectantly. She blushes bright red in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry Professor, I must have gotten distracted there for a second. Did you ask me something?"

"Yes, in fact I did Miss Smith," says Professor Slughorn, slightly annoyed that she was not hanging onto his every word.

"Could you repeat the question?"

"Certainly. I was wondering if you could tell us the properties of Euphoria, an Elixir to induce?"

Margaret is taken aback by the question and racks her brain for an answer. Potions has never been her best subject and Remus and her never really touched upon that particular potion.

"I'm sorry sir, I don't know," she says quietly, and she glares at the snickering Slytherins. Severus sneers at her. "Why don't you ask Snape though, he seems to be dying to share."

Severus glares at her as Professor Slughorn turns to him expectantly.

"I know you'll know, Mr. Snape. After all, you are one of my two top Potions students."

Severus nods and says, "The properties of Euphoria are as follows: Induces euphoria in the drinker, with occasional side effects of excessive singing and nose-tweaking; the peppermint would tend to counterbalance that effect. When correctly made, the potion is sunshine-yellow; appropriate, being a colour suggestive of cheerfulness."

"Nicely put Mr. Snape. Now, if you open your books to page…"

The rest of the class is spent reviewing this particular potion and brewing it. It is a fairly simple potion for someone like Lily who excels in this particular class but for those like Margaret, it is challenging like most others.

"Careful Margaret, only put a _sprig_ of peppermint in," warns Lily, watching her friend as she works. "You seem awful distracted. What's going on?"

Margaret looks up from her work with a big grin on her face.

"Remus told me last night that he loves me!" she whispers.

The other girls gasp and resist the urge to shriek. Because they are holding it in, they look severely constipated and receive strange looks.

"That's wonderful, Margaret, I'm so happy for you!" Lily cries, running over to hug her briefly. The others do the same and the Marauders watch on in amusement.

"I guess she told them," chuckles Sirius, winking at Remus.

Remus smiles and for once, he feels like _nothing_ can go wrong.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"It is time to double our efforts," says Voldemort coolly. "This is getting out of hand."

"Yes, my Lord," speaks Lucius. "Would you like me to get those inside to kidnap them?"

"No. Let Mr. Lupin enjoy his time with Miss Smith, and likewise for Mr. Potter and Miss Evans, before we dispose of them. Besides, I need time to plan a much more painful death!"

"Yes, my Lord," murmurs Lucius.

"My Lord, if I may –" begins Yaxley.

"You may not," says Voldemort coldly. "Now both of you leave immediately. Leave me to my thinking or face the consequences that for now shall remain unfathomable."

The two of them scuttle from the room before both get in trouble and close the door behind them.

Voldemort leans back in his chair with his hands entwined and thinks…and thinks…and thinks…

Until he thinks of an ingenious plan.

"Bella!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Sirius! You're not the only Beater on the team! You have to work together!" shouts James.

"How? We're on opposite ends of the pitch!"

"Figure it out! Hand signals and _not_ like the one you gave me when I took the last treacle tart!"

Sirius grins and flies off to the other end of the field to collaborate with the other Beater. They have gotten a new one this year so Sirius has to go over a whole new plan with her. It is the first time James has ever seen such an amazing girl Beater. James zooms off to receive the Quaffle from a fellow Chaser and scores another goal.

Overall, they are a promising team with much potential but they need a lot of practice if they are going to make it to the finals this year. They are not the only good team though; the other Houses (with the exception of poor Hufflepuff) have very good teams as well.

"All right team, let's head on in, good job," says James wearily. He really needs to get back in shape if he is already tired after an hour and a half.

"Coming Prongs?" asks Sirius.

"No, I'm going to put this in the shed then run up and take a shower in the Heads dorm. I need to meet Lily to go over Head stuff."

Sirius grins and grin that James recognizes all too well. It is the grin that means only perverted thoughts.

"Sirius," he warns.

"Sorry, force of habit," says Sirius, raising his hands up. "I'm working on it." He nods and walks with the others to the changing room.

James begins jogging up to the room, anticipating meeting Lily.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily walks into the library and grabs the table in the corner, directly next to the Restricted Section. It is her favorite table because no one will bother them but there is enough light to work.

She sits down and pulls out several sheets of parchment, her quill, and a bottle of ink. She begins scribbling ideas down and jumps when someone sits down next to her.

"Oh, it's you," she says relieved. "I thought you were someone else!"

"Who'd you think I was?" laughs James.

"Anyone I don't feel like talking to," grins Lily. "It tends to happen quite often with me."

James grins. "Well, I'm glad I'm no longer one of those people. So, what do we have to go over?"

"Just the final plans for the Black and White Ball," explains Lily. "Such as; the music, the decorations, the security, and most importantly; the food."

James nods. "Any ideas so far?"

"Well decorations are fairly simple. Just typical lighting and perhaps some colorful streamers. Just because it's a Black and White Ball that doesn't mean that we can't have light colours."

James nods. "For music I think we should do a mix. What I mean by that is not just Wizard music, but also Muggle classics."

Lily looks thoughtful. "That could be nice. Any suggestions?"

"Well, personally I like Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, etc. for the Muggle category."

"You have good taste in music," grins Lily. "I like all those people too."

"We have so much in common," says James dramatically.

Lily laughs. "Not really but believe whatever you want. All right, what food do you think we should have?"

"Oh, I don't know. Anything edible really," says James casually, and Lily chuckles. "We just need to make sure we have a lot of it for people like Sirius who inhale it all."

"Good point."

"Also, I think we should get some alcohol."

"_What?"_ hisses Lily. "Are you itching for us to lose our badges?"

"Of course not!" says James quickly. "I think we should get some though. After all, the Professor's aren't going to be here!"

"How do you know that?"

"Professor McGonagall told me this morning that they were called for a conference with the Bulgarian Minister of Magic and they could not refuse. So now, _we're_ in charge of the school."

"So your idea of keeping the school under control is getting them _drunk?"_

"Oh come on, only the older kids!"

"Even better. It's not like they're reckless or anything."

"_Please_ Lily?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"NO."

"_PUHLEEZE?"_

"_NO!_ Absolutely not!"

He leans in and kisses her and her eyes widen in surprise. At first she fights it and her insides are screaming but then she remembers it is James and slowly begins kissing him back. Soon she pulls away though, bright red. He is grinning at her.

"Please?"

"No. You sir, have just abused your incredible ability to kiss to try and coax me into your harebrained scheme!" James laughs.

"Why not?" he pouts, referring to the alcohol.

Lily gives him a look. "Do I even need to tell you how many things can go wrong with sneaking alcohol on the premises?"

"Yes."

Lily sighs. "No James."

"Fine," he pouts. "Is that all?"

"I was thinking about having two door people also," says Lily, looking down at her parchment once more. "You know, to make sure no one comes in who is not supposed to."

"Like who?"

"First, second, and third years, for example. I suppose also anyone who is serving detention."

"Who did you have in mind?"

"Michael and Nadine."

"The ones we caught in the _broom cupboard?_ The bloke that called me, sir hazel whatever?" Lily bursts out laughing but quiets at Madam Pince's glare.

"Sorry. And yes, Michael and Nadine. They're both the Gryffindor Prefects and I think they're up to the job! That's the first time they've ever been doing _that_ after hours."

"Or the first time they've been caught." Lily grimaces and pushes the image from her head.

"Regardless, I'll ask the two of them later and see what they have to say. I believe we're done. We might as well go and present it all to Professor McGonagall now. Are they leaving the evening of the Ball of beforehand?"

"Evening of. Come on, let's go."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"When is the Black and White Ball?" asks Voldemort.

"October 31st, my Lord," replies Bellatrix. She is looking up at him in admiration. "Does this have anything to do with your plan?"

"Yes, but I am not going to be making an appearance this time."

"My Lord?"

"You are."

She appears surprised by this but she smiles evilly and looks excited.

"What do I get to do, my Lord?"

"You shall be targeting Miss Evans once more," says Voldemort. "You may do so in whichever way you see fit but see to it that she is in this room by the end of the night. If not, you shall pay the consequences."

"Yes, my Lord…"

"Now leave!"

She kisses his feet and scurries from the room, leaving the evil master to plot and plan.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I never really did appreciate the magic behind these staircases," says Lily, looking at them thoughtfully on October thirtieth, the day before the Ball. "I can hardly believe that I'm not going to be running up and down them next year."

"I'm not going to miss them," says Marlene scornfully. "I must have fallen through that stupid step more than fifty times a day. Most of those times that I fell too it was Sirius' fault."

"And now you're _in love_," sings Alice.

"We've got nothing on you and Frank," smirks Marlene, and Alice flushes.

"I haven't seen Frank much lately," says Lily as they reach the seventh floor corridor. "What has he been up to lately?"

"Studying like crazy," replies Alice. "I've been studying with him every other day but he's _super_ serious about becoming an Auror. His mother is probably pressuring him to do beyond the expectations."

"That must be difficult to grow up with such a demanding mother," says Marlene. "And then there's mine who doesn't care if I fail or succeed," she jokes. The other three can tell though that she is not jesting though.

"Just like Sirius' parents," says Lily as they approach the Fat Lady. "They don't give a damn and sometimes that's worse."

Marlene nods and says the password to the portrait. The portrait swings open and they step into the common room.

"I have to go find the fifth year Prefects, I'll catch up with you lot later," says Lily. They nod and walk up to their dormitory and scans the room.

"Have you seen Michael and Nadine?" Lily asks Jessica who is sitting with her friends.

Jessica smirks and gives her friends a knowing look.

"Yes, they went up to his room," she replies grinning. Lily inwardly groans.

"Dear Merlin, since when has the entire world been so sexually active?" she exclaims. Jessica and her friend Brooke laugh but Alicia just rolls her eyes. Alicia Jules has never been known to be nice to anyone unless they are close to her: Those people being Jessica and their friend Brooke Mayer.

"Thank you," she says to Jessica.

She walks up the boys' dormitory stairs and walks to the fifth year dormitories. She sighs and knocks on the door.

There is a curse and a gasp from the other side of the door and frantic moving.

In a minute's time a door opens and a flustered Michael opens the door, looking very disheveled. He looks surprised when he sees who it is.

"Oh, sorry fair redhead but I'm in no fit state to entertain," he says. He tries to close the door but Lily puts her foot in the way to stop it.

"It'll only take a moment Michael but I need to speak to both you and Nadine." Michael looks back in the room and suddenly Nadine appears, less flustered than Michael but still so all the same.

"I'm here, I'm here. Sorry about that, Lily, what's going on?"

"I was just wondering if for the Ball you two would be up to standing in front of the Great Hall and check everyone in?" she asks, wanting this to be over as quickly as possible.

"Sure!" they say in unison, hastily.

"Excellent. I'll just let you…erm – yeah." She waves them goodbye and they close the door again.

Merlin.

Lily sighs and begins walking back to the Head dormitory so she can work on her costume for tomorrow.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	37. Black and White Ball Part 1

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. This particular plot belongs to General Hospital.

**A/N:** So I just thought I'd let you know that I thought it over and I'm not going to put whose POV each section is in. It just makes it looks even more messy and it's fairly self-explanatory. You can assume though that the page breaks mean that it's changing POV's and there will be times when time passes in between breaks but mostly these things are all occurring at the same time.

Thanks.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 37 – Black and White Ball Part 1

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 5 AM**_

_CRASH! Another round of thunder and lightening crashes and illuminates the school and all surrounding it. The Great Hall is in ruins, chairs knocked over and decorations torn._

_Remus: People say I love you more than life. I never understood what that meant until tonight. Would you die for love?_

A single body lay sprawled on the floor, knocked unconscious from a blow to the head. His fingers twitch and slowly his eyes open.

Confused on where he is, he slowly looks up and around, surveying the ruined area. He lies back down slowly and turns his head to the left and sees it.

A single hand lying on the floor limp, with a white mask next to it. At first he does not comprehend what he is seeing but he slowly inches up to get a better look and screams.

"NO!" screams Remus, pounding his fist on the ground as thunder sounds and lightening flashes.

She was his best friend.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

_11 hours earlier. 6 PM._

Marlene picks up her white mask and grins as Sirius takes her hand.

"Watch your step," he says as she walks down the stairs in her black dress. He then grins. "This is going to be a wild night."

"Well, you know what?" smirks Marlene. "I'm ready for _anything_," she says, putting her white mask up to her face.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

James knocks on the door leading to Lily's Heads room.

"Come in," she responds.

He opens the door to reveal her looking at herself in the mirror and feels like his breath was taken away.

She is wearing a strapless white dress with her hair held together with a single clip in the back. It flows freely down her back as she smiles at his reflection. She laughs at his face.

He sighs. "You look amazing."

"And you look more handsome than usual," she teases. "Shall we go welcome everyone?" she asks, extending her hand.

"Yes!" he says with a spring in his step. He entwines his arm in hers cordially, which only makes her laugh harder. "Let's go!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Now this is like stepping into a dream," says Karen Anderson, her breath taken away. "James and Lily really outdid themselves."

Jason Jackson nods. "Growing up with parents who always throw parties, I'd be surprised if James didn't know how to throw one by now."

"Well I'm glad I'm here with you," smiles Karen. "You…wouldn't happen to be one of those guys who doesn't like to dance, would you?"

"Oh, I _love_ to dance," grins Jason. He looks over her head and his grin fades slightly as Jessica walks in. She is wearing a white dress and is holding a white mask in her hand.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Miranda is finishing putting on her makeup right outside the common room when the portrait hole opens. She turns around slightly and rolls her eyes when she sees Marc.

"Miranda, you look lovely," he smirks.

"Don't even _think_ about it," she retorts. "We've been over for _years_, Marc and don't even _think_ about crashing this party."

"Everyone's invited. Plus, they'll be no teachers."

"Doesn't mean your presence will be appreciated."

"Nor will yours."

"Touché."

"Your hair looks great in the moonlight," he compliments, looking out the window.

"There is no moon, there's a storm coming," she points out.

"Still. Come on, let's go. The two of us going in together will be better then if we went alone. That way, they can't possibly kick us out."

"Why do you want to go? You enjoy tormenting Lily and James, don't you?"

"James, yes. Lily, not at all: I care deeply about her."

"I can't see why."

"Yes, you wouldn't," says Marc dismissively.

"I'm just surprised you care about anyone other than yourself."

"Well, I'm full of surprises, darling. However, if the evening goes without incident, you'll have the unbelievable pleasure of dancing with me."

Miranda does not say anything, for at that moment the Heads portrait hole opens and James and Lily walk out. The four stare at each other.

"Miranda," says James stiffly. "You're going with _him?_ Here I thought you could sink no lower._"_

Miranda smirks and entwines her arm in Marc's.

"I can feel the corridor has dropped several degrees," says Marc grinning. "This night could get a little messy."

James looks at Lily, who says nothing, and Miranda rolls her eyes and looks in the opposite direction.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Thank you," says Alice as Frank helps her down the marble staircase. "I can't believe how gorgeous everything is."

"Well, if only we were in for a gorgeous evening. It's supposed to be dreadful tonight," replies Frank.

"At least I'm here with you," smiles Alice.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," says Frank, offering her his arm. "Ready to go in?"

"Absolutely," she says, putting her white mask to her face.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily and James walk in and are greeted by Michael and Nadine, who are standing by the doors, welcoming everyone.

"Welcome Mr. Potter, Miss Evans, it's an honour," says Michael, and Nadine and James roll their eyes.

"Why, thank you," says Lily, barely concealing her amusement at the formality. She elbows James in the ribs.

"Yes, err – hi, Michael."

"Sir hazel, right this way."

James practically drags a hysterical in and Miranda and Marc follow suit behind them.

"Miss Harris, welcome," he says to Miranda. He stares blankly at Marc. "Your date, as it were, is most definitely not welcome. He is on the detention list."

"Somehow, that doesn't seem to bother him," she says, before she walks away.

"Good evening," smirks Marc, before he walks after her.

Everyone looks at the pair incredulously as they walk in.

"What is Harris thinking?" asks Sirius to Marlene.

"Who knows," smirks Marlene. "But _that's_ the match made from hell if I've ever seen one."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Sir hazel, honestly," James scoffs, and Lily admonishes him. "What? It's ridiculous!" He pauses. "Who are you looking for?"

"Erm – Alice," Lily replies. "I wanted to talk to her before we welcome everyone. Perhaps we should wait for everyone to arrive?"

"Yes, that's probably a good idea." Just then Michael walks past Lily.

"Oh Michael, has Alice Prewitt arrived yet?" asks Lily, stopping him.

"Yes, I saw her a little while ago," he replies.

"Okay, thank you."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Sirius," smirks Kristina, walking over to him. "You look great tonight." She looks at Marlene and smirks again. "McKinnon."

"Daniels," says Marlene tersely.

"Have you gone over my notes for our project yet?" asks Kristina.

Sirius looks severely uncomfortable. "Yes, I did and I made a few changes here and there."

"Just so we're clear," intervenes Marlene, "you're one of the last people welcome here so why don't you just crawl back under whatever rock you came from."

"Okay, how about we discuss the project later, when we're all back in _class_," suggests Sirius, looking pointedly at Kristina.

"Fine with me," says Miranda loudly.

"Excellent idea," crows Kristina. "See you later, Sirius." With that, she walks off back into the crowd.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So Snape, why did you come tonight?" asks Marc, as Severus passes him. "I wasn't under the impression that you enjoyed social gatherings."

Severus freezes in his tracks. "I don't," he replies tersely, turning to face Marc. "I figured I might as well come though and see what all the fuss is about."

"Or perhaps you hoped to have a dance with the Head Girl. Don't deny it, Snape, it's obvious you fancy Evans."

"Are the rumours true that Potter exploded on you when he found out your real identity?" shoots back Severus.

"What rumours?"

"Anyone within a few thousand feet could hear his screams echoing off the walls." He suddenly feels his wand vibrate. "Excuse me."

He walks to a secluded corner and takes his wand out.

"Hello?" he whispers into it.

"Where are you, Severus?"

"Avery, what the hell are you doing?" hisses Severus. "Did you honestly go along with this ludicrous plan?"

"It's a surefire plan and the Bellatrix is wondering why you're not involved. Are you chickening out?"

"No, I just don't see why my assistance is necessary. In fact, I find it rather stupid to even involve me since she knows for a fact it's a conflict of interest."

"Bellatrix doesn't care about your stupid crush on the Mudblood, Severus," snaps Avery. "She's out for blood tonight and it _will_ be shed whether you want it to, or not."

"The Dark Lord will be furious when he learns of her plan. He doesn't want her _dead_, he wants her back in Headquarters."

"Bellatrix has other plans."

"Obviously."

"He's not going to find out though. I think it's time for you to decide where your loyalties lie."

Avery hangs up and Severus stares at his wand, his hand shaking. He has to get Lily out of the castle.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Ladies and gentlemen, please," says Michael, his voice booming over the crowd of talking people. "Your attention should be directed on the Head Boy and Girl."

"Thank you," says James. "First and foremost; welcome. I'm delighted that everyone arrived on time so we could start this party as soon as possible. In any case, before we get started I have a few brief announcements."

"Firstly, this ball would be a disaster if it weren't for Lily Evans, our Head Girl," begins James.

There is thunderous applause, with the exception of the Slytherins. Lily blushes and glares at James.

"He's being modest, he's the one who grew up with parents throwing parties." There is collective laughter, which ceases once James continues.

"And finally, have a great time and eat up! Without further ado, let's get this party started!" he cries.

Everyone cheers as another clap of thunder sounds, followed by a flash of lightening, illuminating Severus and his black mask.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Great job on the party, Lily," says Alice, walking up to her and James. She hugs Lily. "It looks outstanding. I really like how you used Muggle lighting."

"Thanks Al," grins Lily. "I'm so glad you and Frank are coming to this together. The fact that you two are still strong after everything is amazing."

Alice nods and winks. "We're not the only ones."

Lily smiles as Alice laughs and runs off to her boyfriend. Lily then turns to James who has been standing behind her.

"Should we put on the music then?" asks James.

"Yes!" says Lily hastily. She runs to the back and turns on what appears to be a Muggle stereo, but has been fixed to work on the grounds.

"Okay, so since all of you are bashful, I'd like to begin this Black and White Ball," jokes James. He turns to Lily. "May I have this dance?"

She smiles as the music starts and nods. He bows to her and in response she curtseys and accepts his hand, placing her other on his shoulder. He puts his hand around her waste and can feel her tense up.

"Don't worry, it's okay," he whispers in her ear. She smiles slightly but cannot erase the sick feeling she had felt momentarily.

The music begins full force and they glide around the dance floor, not paying heed to any of the watchful people.

_Out of the tree of life, I just picked me a plum_

_You came along and everything starting to hum_

_Still it's a real good bet, the best is yet to come_

All that they can see is the person they are dancing with and nobody else. They dance for several minutes and slowly but surely, couples start to come out and dance around them.

_The best is yet to come, and babe, won't that be fine_

_You think you've seen the sun, but you ain't seen it shine_

_Wait till the warm-ups underway_

_Wait till our lips have met_

_Wait till you see that sunshine day_

_You ain't seen nothin' yet_

As another clap of thunder sounds, they know it is sure to be one magical night.

_Wait till your charms are right, for these arms to surround_

_You think you've flown before, but baby you ain't left the ground_

_Wait till you're locked in my embrace_

_Wait till I draw you near_

_Wait till you see that sunshine place ain't nothin' like it here_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Jessica is standing off in the distance, watching Lily and James dance with admiration and a hint of sadness in her eyes. She has not come to the ball with anyone, for the person she would love to go with already has a date. Watching them dance so easily, she wishes that she can be dancing with the guy that she cares about.

Just then Jason walks over to the punch bowl and sees her standing several feet away.

"Hey Jess," he says awkwardly.

She looks up surprised, wondering how in hell he had appeared upon her wish but smiles anyway. She likes her nickname Jess very much but more so when he says it. It sounds special on his lips.

"Hi," she responds. She looks back at the dance floor and he follows her gaze. "Lily and James make it look so easy," she whispers. "They look so perfect but we know they aren't. They're just two people who love each other but are both so stubborn. It's a miracle they finally got together."

Jason nods, not saying anything, for he has nothing to say.

"How come you didn't come with anyone?" he asks. "Weren't you asked?"

Jessica looks at him. "I was," she nods, "by several guys. None of which I wanted to go with so I decided to come by myself."

Jason does not say anything. All of a sudden though, he says:

"Jessica, may I have this dance?"

Jessica feels like the wind has been knocked out of her and she stares at Jason's hand in shock. Once she recovers she says:

"Absolutely."

_Come the day you're mine_

_And you're gonna be mine_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sirius and Marlene are gliding around right outside of the Great Hall without a care in the world. They prefer to dance away from the eyes of everyone.

_Every time I see your face_

_My heart takes off on a high-speed chase_

_Now don't be scared, it's only love_

_Baby, that we're falling in_

Marlene rests her head on Sirius' shoulder and he inhales the smell of her shampoo. The familiar smell of apricot puts him at ease and he smiles to himself.

_I would never do you wrong_

_Or let you down or lead you on_

_Don't look down, it's only love_

_Baby, that we're falling in_

Marlene feels such a close connection to this song. The last verse that has just played relates to her and Sirius' relationship so much lately.

_Won't be easy, have my doubts too_

_But it's over, without you I'm just lost, incomplete_

_Yeah you feel like home, home to me_

But they both realize that love is never going to be easy. Sometimes if you really someone, you have to fight hard to hang onto them. One just has to find the person worth fighting for.

That is what Sirius and Marlene did.

_All those nights I stayed awake_

_Thinking of all the ways to make you mine_

_All of those smiles will never fade_

_Never run out of ways to blow my mind_

_Every time I see your face_

_My heart takes off on a high-speed chase_

_Now don't be scared, it's only love_

_That we're falling in_

_I would never do you wrong_

_Or let you down or lead you on_

_Don't look down, it's only love_

_Baby, that we're falling in_

_Don't be scared, it's only love_

_Baby, that we're falling in_

The song fades out but Sirius and Marlene are no longer dancing. They have their arms entwined around each other and are kissing.

"I'll go get us some drinks," says Sirius once they pull apart. "Don't miss me too much."

"Don't worry, I won't," smirks Marlene, obviously joking.

Sirius grins and walks in and Marlene resumes looking out into the night sky. Suddenly she hears slow, exaggerated clapping behind her.

"Everyone thinks that _I_ am manipulative but I – I have got _nothing_ on you," sneers Kristina. "_You_ played Sirius like a real pro."

Marlene stares at her, for once not having a smart-ass remark.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The song soon thereafter finishes inside and James bows to Lily, making her turn the same colour as her hair. Everyone claps loudly and a few Hufflepuffs wolf whistle.

"Thank you," says James. "Now everyone please, _please_ join in with us."

The music resumes, but with a different song, and some more couples make their way onto the dance floor shyly. Lily and James give them reassuring smiles, as if to say it is not that bad, and continues dancing together.

_And I feel,_

_All the faint morning light,_

_Filled with__ hope 'cause you're here in my life,_

_And we've gone,_

_From __the edge of__ our souls,_

_Made it back to a place we call home._

Only two people watch from the sidelines and those people are Jessica, once her dance is over, and Severus.

Jessica had been mortified to dance with Jason to a love song. She had felt everyone's eyes scrutinizing them but was relieved that he ignored it and kept talking as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

After the song ends, Lily walks over to where Jessica is sitting and smiles sadly.

"You weren't asked by him, were you?" she asks softly.

Jessica shakes her head. "I had one dance with him and I suppose that's good enough for now."

"Well how about this: I dance with Jason, you dance with James, and if we just _happen_ to switch partners –"

"No, no, I can't spend my life just hoping for random opportunities to be with him. I'll just have to move on because he obviously doesn't return any feelings for me that I have for him." Jessica smiles sadly. "It really sucks," she adds, and Lily puts a comforting arm around the girl's shoulders.

Jessica watches as Jason and Karen dance around, staring into each other's eyes and wishes that she could be that girl.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Just get them there, we can't risk tipping off the Dark Lord," says Lucius into his wand, sounding severely pissed off. "Do it _now_ Avery or the Dark Lord will hear of this and we'll all be screwed."

He hangs up his wand and turns around to see a wand pointing him square in the chest. The holder of the wand is none other than Charlus Potter. Lucius smirks, obviously unfazed.

"Tell me about Voldemort," Charlus says slowly.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily separates from James after the dance and begins running up the marble staircase to head to the Room of Requirement. She had noticed most of the Slytherins had suddenly disappeared and knows something was up. She is also aware that there is a Vanishing Cabinet upstairs that has been recently re-fixed. She does not know, however, where the other one is but has an idea that the Death Eaters and/or Voldemort do.

She is nearly up the stairs when she hears someone call her.

"Lily-bean!"

She inwardly groans and turns around to see Sirius standing at the bottom of the staircase.

"What is it, Sirius? I'm kind of in a hurry."

"Where are you going?"

"Does it matter?"

"These corridors aren't the safest at night, especially with unfriendly Slytherins lurking in the shadows."

"You noticed them gone too?"

"Who wouldn't? They all left in a big queue."

"I think they might be up in the Room of Requirement," blurts out Lily. Sirius raises an eyebrow.

"Why would you think that?" he asks.

"Because there's a Vanishing Cabinet and I don't believe it to be a coincidence that every teacher has been called away." She walks down the steps and looks Sirius in the eye. She lets out an exasperated sigh and crosses her arms. "The Marauders spiked the punch, didn't they?"

"What would make you say that?"

"You have a far off look in your eye."

"Well…I might have had a _couple_ of drinks," he admits.

"A couple? More like a dozen. Come on, let's go back to the ballroom."

She grabs his arm and pulls him back in, not noticing him smirking.

_Works every time_ he thinks.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You're trying to steal Sirius but you don't even want him," says Marlene once she recovers, "and everything you've done has been based on lies."

Kristina laughs. "You're calling _me_ a liar?"

"No. I'm calling you an evil, selfish, bitch."

"Oh."

"You know that Sirius and I love each other. You've known like everyone else for a while and yet you continue to _stand_ there and try and seduce him. And when that didn't work you tried to bring up this whole cock-and-bull story about how you two are spending _so much_ extra time together working on the Transfiguration project," continues Marlene. "You could have ended our relationship and our whole groups friendship so many times but _you_ don't care. As long as in the end you get what you want."

"I _will_ end up with Sirius and you'll end up alone if you're lucky."

"Is that a threat?"

"Make it out to be whatever you want."

"Sirius knows what kind of trash you are," sneers Marlene.

"You lost his child."

"Are you kidding me? You're going to bring that up? Then again, you don't care, as long as Sirius and I don't get to be together."

Kristina laughs dryly. "Well I guess it's really a fair trade. You get to live with losing a child and I get Sirius. Fair for me at least."

Marlene swings her right arm and slaps Kristina across the face, leaving a flaming red mark. She begins walking away but Kristina grabs her arm before she can and slaps her right back, knocking her off balance.

"You bitch!" shouts Marlene. She tries to hit her again but Kristina is able to grab her arms and fight her off. If only Sirius was here right now to witness what he truly loves…a catfight… and over him.

"You will never be happy!" shouts Marlene, but Kristina, trying to tackle her, muffles her voice.

"Sirius will never truly love you!" shouts Kristina.

"You're going to be all alone!" yells Marlene.

The rest of what they are yelling is incoherent but it does not matter because they are doing more damage with their hands. Between the scratching and the clawing, they will be lucky if both of their dresses are not shredded. And some skin along the way…

"Come on! Come on, stop!" shouts Sirius, running over to them. He pulls Kristina off of Marlene, then helps Marlene up and stares at them incredulously. "Stay," he orders. "What the hell is going on?"

"Go ahead. Tell Sirius why we're fighting!" cries Kristina hysterically.

Sirius looks from Kristina to Marlene, waiting for one to speak up and Marlene just stares at him, panting.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Do not say the Dark Lord's name," snarls Lucius.

"Tell me about him," Charlus repeats.

"The Dark Lord is in hiding but I am not sure where," replies Lucius.

"You're lying," says Charlus simply. "Something is going on and I'm going to ask you again: _Where is Voldemort?"_

"I told you, I don't know. Some guys were sent after him recently but they ended up dead in an alleyway. Though, _you'd_ know that _Minister_," sneers Lucius.

"What does Voldemort want?" asks Charlus, trying a different approach.

"You know what he wants as well as I do."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Severus," says Mulciber.

"Have you seen the Bellatrix?" asks Severus. The two of them are in the entryway, away from the ball.

"No."

"She's got to be around here somewhere. That's her plan isn't it? She's going to infiltrate Hogwarts to get to Lily."

"Just go back to the party, Severus. Obviously you're not as loyal to the Death Eaters as you want everyone to believe."

"I am loyal to _The Dark Lord_ but Bellatrix is after Lily and I don't want her to get hurt. She's done nothing wrong and she doesn't deserve to be targeted."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I think everyone's here," says Nadine.

"I guess, we should probably head in," nods Michael. "Let's go."

They walk into the room, neither noticing a wild-haired woman lurking behind a suit of armour.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: I do not own The Best Is Yet To Come by Frank Sinatra, Falling In by Lifehouse, or All That You Are by Goo Goo Dolls. That being said, please review!


	38. Black and White Ball Part 2

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Recap:** The Black and White Ball has begun, many of the girls are wearing the same mask, everyone is having fun except for Jessica and Severus; the former upset that she was not asked by her crush, Marlene and Kristina get in a fight that ends with Sirius taking the latter's side, Bellatrix got inside Hogwarts.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 38 – Black and White Ball Part 2

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 5 AM**_

_CRASH!_

_Remus: How much time do we really have? Would you want to know if it is running out?_

A single hand lies on the floor limp with a white mask next to it.

"NO!" screams Remus, pounding his fist on the ground as thunder sounds and lightening flashes.

He crawls slowly over to the body, to get a better look, hoping it is not the truth. There is another crash of thunder and he recognizes the white mask.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

_11 Hours Earlier – 7 PM_

"People don't have a clue about the things you've done, you lying bitch!" shrieks Kristina.

"Oh, really? At least _I_ haven't slept with the entire male population of Hogwarts!" screams Marlene, coming towards her.

"Okay, okay, what the hell is going _on?"_ asks Sirius, attempting to shout over them and hold Marlene back but Kristina cuts him off.

"What the hell's going on? Sirius keeps asking Marlene, when are _you_ going to answer?"

"Will you just tell me what you're fighting about?" asks Sirius irritated. The drinks lay forgotten on the bench.

Both girls stare at Sirius, neither saying a word.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Severus, Bellatrix is a force best not reckoned with. It will benefit you to come join us and let her finish what the Dark Lord has started," says Mulciber.

"She's only after Lily because it was assigned to her. The Dark Lord intends on her bringing Lily back _alive_ though and so far, capturing her has not worked. If he cannot she definitely will not be able to and she won't hesitate in killing anyone in her way. I'm adamant Mucliber that I'm sure as hell not going to let Lily get hurt."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Bellatrix caresses her wand gently, allowing it to emit simple sparks. She can cause some damage with this piece of wood.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"If you don't join us, you'll only us you'll only get yourself killed and how will that save the Mudblood?" sneers Mulciber.

"Don't call her that."

Mulciber ignores him. "Join us. It is time for Evans to confront her fate."

"We have different priorities, Mulciber," says Severus, pointing his wand at Mulciber's heart.

"_Please_ don't go crazy."

"Maybe I can't help myself. I've been hanging around you and Avery long enough." He keeps his wand pointed at him but backs up and leaves to go back to the ball.

"I see you're still trying to get Snape to stop loving Lily," says James, appearing from the shadows. "There's no point, I've been trying fruitlessly for years."

Mulciber turns around and stares at him in disgust before walking away.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Everyone is now dancing in the ballroom, whether it is with his or her date or not.

Miranda finds herself walking over to where Marc is standing and gives him a glass of spiked punch. He nods and smirks at her.

"So, why are you here?" asks Miranda bored.

"Come on, you strike me as a woman who loves mystery," says Marc dryly.

"I don't like surprises."

"Oh, what a shame. You need to try something new!" He leans in and kisses her on the cheek before walking away, leaving her furious.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Suddenly an overexcited fourth year couple whip by and Remus has to pull Margaret out of the way so she is not trampled.

"Wow," laughs Remus. "They're a little…"

"Over the top?" also laughs Margaret. "Yeah, just a bit." She looks around the room. "Do you get the feeling that something isn't right?"

"No, why? Do you?" asks Remus concerned.

Margaret shrugs. "It's more of an unsettling feeling."

"I'd be unsettled too if a bunch of girls were wearing the same coloured mask as me!"

Margaret grins and puts her white mask up to her face.

"Intuition?"

"Something like that."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Marlene turns away from Sirius and Kristina irritated.

"What started this fight?" he tries again. She whips around.

"I started it and I would start it all over again. Kristina's a lying tramp who's begging for your attention and is trying to twist you around every one of her claws." Sirius stares at her incredulously.

"Could you give me some credit -?" he begins but Kristina cuts him off again.

"Are you kidding me? Are you saying you _attacked_ me because you think I'm what? Trying to _seduce_ Sirius?"

"Oh, you _know_ she is! She's only going after you because she wants what she can't have!" Sirius sighs. This is going nowhere.

"Are you serious? Sirius and I were the ones that were robbed of our relationship!"

"He dumped you!"

"Under false pretenses. I never cheated on him! So where am _I_ in the wrong?"

"Because you're a selfish, hateful person who –"

"Whoa, what happened?" asks a shocked Lily. She walks towards the three of them with James in toll.

"Marlene went after Kristina," explains Sirius.

Marlene's eyes widen and she throws her hands up in disbelief. She should have known this would happen.

"_Thanks_."

"Well I walked in and you were accusing Kristina of all kinds of crazy things."

"_What?_ Are you – are you _kidding me_ right now? You're actually going to _defend_ her? What ever happened to standing by your girlfriend?"

"Alright, I heard some of the fight before and it sounds like your conscience acted up about losing the baby –"

Marlene gasps and Lily's mouth falls into a perfect 'O' shape.

"Hold _on_ a second," intervenes Lily. "You've got no right to bring that up Sirius, I don't care if you were the father, that's out of bounds. What happened to your guys' baby were those Slytherins faults, not Marlene's."

Sirius looks like he already regrets what he has said and even James is staring at them incredulously.

"Marlene also could have backed out of your relationship multiple times because of your lying but she had the decency to forgive you at of the goodness of her heart…"

"And who the hell are you to trash my best mate?" interrupts James angrily, standing in front of Lily.

Lily looks at him in surprise, which turns to shock in only a matter of seconds.

"What's your problem?" asks Lily.

"My problem is that you always seem to trash me or one of the other Marauders!" shouts James. "I'm so _sick_ of always having to listen to you preach about how one of us has always done something wrong! What about you, huh? You're not so perfect either!" His voice has risen steadily as he continues relentlessly.

"James, stop! Stop it, stop!" cries Marlene, pushing James back away from Lily. Lily covers her eyes to try and push back her tears. "Stop yelling at her!" she cries shocked.

"Marlene, let's – let's just go inside and fix you up," falters Lily, staring at James.

Marlene nods and Lily leads her away from James, Sirius, and Kristina; who is now standing in the corner. Marlene continues to look back at both guys shocked as they leave. Kristina also looks at them both.

"Prongs I'm glad to have you on my side, believe me, but don't you think you were a little rough with Lily?" asks Sirius.

James turns to face him. "You don't worry about Lily!" he shouts, pointing his finger at him. He walks away to the castle slowly.

"You should go," says Sirius coldly, turning to Kristina. "You've caused enough damage tonight." She looks surprised at being addressed and flips her hair over her shoulder before leaving.

Sirius slowly walks up to James and spins him around.

"Are you okay, mate?"

"What's wrong with me, Sirius?" groans James, looking at him. "Why can't I control my temper where Lily is concerned?"

For once, Sirius does not have a response and seeing the scared look in James' eyes does not make him feel any better.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

As soon as Kristina walks back in, Marc quickly intercepts her.

"May I have this dance?" he asks, not giving her much of a choice. He twirls her, much to her annoyance.

"I'm guessing you didn't ask to dance with me because you like the drape of my dress," says Kristina dryly as she waltzes around the room with Marc.

"Well, I recognized the opportunity to better know Miranda's friend so…"

"Get to it Marc," says Kristina coolly.

"Well you see, given that I'm trying to decode Miranda, becoming chummy with her best friend seems of the essence and by the way, I do like the drape of your dress very much." Kristina stares at him. "It's quite gorgeous."

He looks to his right just as another seventh year approaches them.

"May I?" he asks.

"Certainly," says Marc dismissively, walking off. He never has spent more than a little time with girls before casting them aside.

"Thank you."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Bellatrix lurks behind the statues and watches as Lily and Marlene walk up the steps, talking in whispers.

"You'll be dead soon, Lily Evans," she hisses. "Soon enough you'll realize that it's only a matter of time before your luck runs dry."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Why is my anger getting the better of me?" asks James. "Why can't I control my temper?" On an afterthought he adds, "How bad was it?"

Sirius winces. "Lily looked shell-shocked but she seemed to take it in strides."

James sighs. "I'm getting worse. I go off randomly but _why_ do I get so angry around Lily? I…I love her," he croaks.

Sirius rubs his temples. "I don't know Prongs, I honestly don't know. I'd say give her some time to help Marlene clean up and then once you're levelheaded again you can talk to her. I doubt she's that angry with you if she didn't yell back."

James nods. "I hope you're right."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily and Marlene are sitting in the Heads dormitory and Lily is fixing up Marlene's hair, makeup, and dress.

"I'm sorry," apologizes Marlene. "I had no right to cause a scene tonight of all nights. Kristina, she just…pushed_ all my buttons._"

"Are you _only_ concerned that perhaps she'll end up with Sirius?" asks Lily. Marlene does not respond and Lily looks up at her.

Marlene sighs. "I have plenty of _other_ reasons to hate her."

"That's a word I don't hear you use too often for people. Hate. Usually you just yell and let off steam at them."

"I still can't believe James," mutters Marlene, changing the subject.

"I'm not angry."

"Regardless, he treated you _wrong_."

Now it is Lily's turn to sigh. "Look, I'm sure James just has a lot on his mind and didn't mean to let it all out on me. I'm telling you, I'm not angry at him for it."

"Still, if Sirius yelled at me like that –"

"You'd realize that he didn't mean it by the look on his face. Look, I'm choosing _not_ to dwell on it, mostly because I have most of the school downstairs unattended to. Come on, you're all fixed up and ready to go."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"These little shrimp wraps are _amazing,"_ says Jason, walking up to Karen.

Karen laughs. "You ate already?"

"Not before you." He extends his hand with one in it towards her.

She grins. "There's a legend that says if a man feeds a woman with his own hands, he's her actual slave."

"Is that right?" She nods. "Hmm…and here I thought it was just being courteous," he jokes. "Your way, however, is far more interesting."

She smiles and he feeds her the shrimp wrap, neither noticing that Jessica is watching sadly from ten feet away. Suddenly her two friends Brooke Mayer and Alicia Jules appear, one grabbing each arm.

"We have some important things we need to discuss," says Alicia.

"Yeah, girl talk," adds Brooke. The two of them pull her away from Jason and Karen, not that either notices.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Bellatrix waits for Mulciber to leave the entry hall again before she comes down the stairs and that is when she sees it.

A sword.

_This can shake things up_ she thinks. _Besides. No one will suspect it's me if I use Muggle ways of attacking. At least…not until I'm _ready_ to be noticed._

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You can_not_ stand on the sidelines and watch Jason have fun with his date," implores Brooke.

"There are a _ton_ of hot, single guys here," adds Alicia. "Pick one. Or three. Just don't stand around looking pathetic, it's embarrassing," she says, crossing her arms.

"Alicia," admonishes Brooke, staring at her incredulously.

"Nice. Thanks a lot," says Jessica, walking away.

"I'm _just_ saying, we losers need to stick together," says Alicia. "_Brandon_ came here with my _best friend_," she snorts, indicating to Brooke. "You don't see me standing around, feeling sorry for myself." She pauses. "Yes," she adds as an afterthought. Jessica laughs. "_But_ I plan on partying until I drop no matter how much it hurts."

"Alicia look, I only came –" begins Brooke.

"Brooke, it's not your fault," cuts off Alicia.

Jessica smiles. "You know, you're right. I'm acting like I'm watching my ex-boyfriend dancing with the popular girl in our year."

"_And_ at least you didn't do anything to make Jason hate your guts!"

"And at least Jason isn't oblivious to your existence and accepts you as a friend," adds Brooke.

"That's all I'll probably be to Jason. Just another friend," sighs Jessica. "I kind of don't want it to change though because in it's own right it's perfect the way it is. You can't go wrong with a friendship like you can in a relationship. Especially when it comes to a player."

"Is that what you honestly want though?" asks Alicia.

"I don't know," says Jessica, tearing up. "No? I just wish I would stop liking him so much." She lets out a watery laugh and both of her friends hug her. "Damn it," she says, wiping her tears.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Marlene has not walked back into the party yet and is back outside staring at the stars.

She takes a sip of her punch and does not hear the approaching footsteps behind her.

"Why are you still out here?" asks Sirius, looking up at the night sky then back down at her.

_And as we lie beneath the stars we realize how small we are_

"I just needed a little time to myself," she replies.

"I'm sorry about that thing with Kristina," says Sirius, looking back at the sky.

Marlene holds up her hand. "Sirius, don't apologize. I overreacted and I acted like a complete bitch." She walks over to a bench and sits down.

"I said the worst possible thing I could to you," says Sirius, sitting down next to her. "I basically did to you what James did to Lily a couple weeks back. I don't know but the four of us seem to share this vicious cycle where we don't think before we speak."

Marlene nods. "I'm sick of the fighting, it's getting ridiculous. For Merlin's sake, we're seventeen, almost eighteen-years-old and we're fighting about such trivial things when there's a full-blown war going on outside these walls. The worst is still yet to happen!" Sirius looks up at the cloudy sky just as thunder strikes again.

"There's certainly a storm coming," he says. "And it's going to be bad."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Hey, we can still finish our dance," says Marc, interrupting a conversation Kristina is having with a seventh year Hufflepuff.

Kristina looks at him coldly. "Thanks, but no thanks."

"Sorry, I'm not taking no for an answer, pardon me," he says to the other boy. The Hufflepuff nods and Marc anything but drags Kristina onto the dance floor.

Severus looks around the room, scanning it for Lily but he cannot find her, which is unusual since her red hair typically makes her stick out like a sore thumb.

"Dance with me," says Severus to Nadine, unknowingly. She has red hair like Lily.

"What, no please?" she teases. Either she does not recognize him or does not care whom she is dancing with. "Right, you can't have the girl you want so you'll dance with one in the same dress with the same colour hair."

Severus is taken aback. She obviously knows who he is so why is she dancing with him?

"At least this way both of us get to dance," he mutters.

"Fair enough."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You could really use some lessons in subtlety," sneers Alicia, walking up to Karen.

"I beg your pardon?" says Karen confused.

"Oh come on, that whole cute coy act you had going on just to go out with Jason? It's obvious that you know Jessica likes him."

"Jason was unattached when he asked me out so I didn't do anything wrong," replies Karen. "Besides, this is your business how…?"

"Jessica is my _best friend_ and you're a liar and a skank." Karen rolls her eyes, unbothered, and turns away, preparing to walk off. "Excuse me, I'm not done with you," sings Alicia, grabbing Karen's pearl necklace. Karen gasps as the necklace breaks and falls off.

"Look what you've done!" she cries.

"Whoops," says Alicia, feigning surprise. "That was for Jessica," she says coldly.

Alicia looks at Jason who has come over just a second before and turns to walk back in the other direction.

"Are you okay?" asks Jason, picking up her necklace.

Karen looks like she is on the verge of tears as she looks at her ruined necklace and then at Jason.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily is sitting on the marble staircase, collecting herself before she re-enters. It is then she realizes there is a looming shadow over her and turns around to see James.

"How are you feeling?" asks Lily cautiously.

"Like a git," sighs James. "I'd like to apologize. My behaviour was inexcusable and I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I understand you were just sticking up for your best mate. Like you said, I would have and did the same thing."

"That's no excuse. I'm truly sorry Lily; I don't know what came over me! I acted like a total arse towards you and I cannot fathom why you don't hate me after all these years."

"Because yelling at someone isn't an excuse to _hate_ them. Isn't there a saying that we fight with the people we care about the most?"

James nods and offers her a hand, which she accepts and stands up, straightening out her dress.

"You ready to go back inside?" he asks tentatively.

"Sure."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Jason asks Jessica sharply, grabbing her arm. Before she can respond he drags her away from some guy she had been dancing with.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Having a good time?" asks James, once they have begun dancing again.

"Absolutely I am," grins Lily. "You're a great dancer."

"I don't know why but a little voice is telling me I have to dance with you," says Nadine. "You don't mind, do you?"

James raised an eyebrow at Lily but she nods, waving him off.

"Come with me," mutters Severus, grabbing Lily's arm.

"Severus, what are you doing?" hisses Lily, seeing right through his black mask.

"Stay with me," he orders.

Lily looks back at James and decides it best not to struggle and cause a scene. After all, she can overpower Severus if she finds it necessary.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You can't _give_ me that kind of information and then just –" begins Dorea when the door slams. "I've got to go," she says into her wand. "Well, I'm sure I don't know what _you've_ been up to tonight," she says to her husband.

"You don't want to know," replies Charlus wearily.

"Any news on Albus and where he is? I heard people saying he didn't accompany the others to the Bulgarian Ministry."

"People? What people?"

"People," says Dorea, indicating to her wand.

"I haven't heard anything. Why do you ask?"

"Because I can sense the war heating up and I know Albus is the only one to stop Voldemort and his followers. Knowing that, it might be helpful to have Albus around to manage the Order. They're getting antsy, you know, and you are undoubtedly going to be occupied else where."

"Why's that?" asks Charlus.

"Because I have a feeling that something is going on in that school tonight. James and Lily are responsible for everyone in the castle and it's a Black and White Ball with no adults on the premises. Anything can happen."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Everyone is dancing and having a great time in the Great Hall now. The food is great, the decorations are withstanding even though wind and students are constantly knocking them around, and couples are dancing happily under the Muggle lit room.

Suddenly there is a great clap of thunder and all of the lights go out. Several girls scream and more than several guys curse. So much for using Muggle electricity in a Wizard school.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Are you saying it isn't coincidental that they were called away for a meeting in Bulgaria?" says Charlus sharply.

"There have been rumours that the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, whom they're supposedly having the meeting with, has been Imperiused. By whom, remains a mystery but I have a feeling it's been by one of Voldemort's followers. You know, the ones he calls 'Death Eaters'. Dreadful name if you ask me."

"Yes, dreadful blokes too. I was just talking to one of them and he insisted he has no clue where Voldemort is or what he wants. That's a load of rubbish though. I have a feeling he is after the same person he has been for over a year. I'd better get up to the school to check on everything."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Alicia thinks she's defending you?" asks Jason annoyed. "Look, it's pretty obvious you're upset that I didn't ask _you_ to this dance and obviously you blame Karen –"

Jessica gapes at him in shock. "No, I am well aware of the fact that you are here with her and _not_ with me."

"Listen, your single-minded mission to get me to notice you –"

"_What?"_ cries Jessica furiously. Jason even takes a step back. "I know it may be contrary to popular belief, Jason, but the whole world does not revolve around _you_." He does not say anything. "Are we done now?" She begins walking away but he pulls her back.

"Not by a long shot," he says, giving her a look.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Karen sits crying in the corner, looking at the remains of her necklace.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude but…may I ask why you're crying?" says James, kneeling next to her.

She sniffs and shows him her necklace. He takes it in his hands and looks at it.

"What happened to it?" he asks, barely audible over the claps of thunder.

She shakes her head and looks down at her hands.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Who was the first guy you were dancing with?" asks Nott, glaring at Nadine. "The one with the black mask." He drags her over to the corner and she throws her white mask down annoyed.

"Take it _easy!"_ she cries. "It took me forever to find this dress and I'd like to wear it more than once!"

"Just answer the question," says Nott impatiently.

"I don't know! Some guy, he wanted to dance with Lily. What's the big deal?" He grabs her arms angrily.

"Stop playing games," he snarls.

"Unhand her!" shouts Michael, pushing Nott off furiously. "Are you okay?" he asks her.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks," she says, staring coldly at Nott.

Nott takes one look at poor, scrawny Michael and snorts.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"What are you doing? Let me go!" screams Lily. You can barely hear her over the thunder and lightening, however.

"Not a chance!" yells Severus.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you even here?" cries Lily, wrenching her arm out of his grasp. "You hate gatherings!"

"We need to get you to safety before the Bellatrix gets revenge and this time she will," says Severus furiously.

Lily pants, staring at him with a mixture of shock and fear.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Miranda is walking down the corridors, trying to find her way back to the Great Hall but with the whole school dark it makes it much more complicated.

She is now on the third floor approaching the statues when she sees him. She opens her mouth, trying to gasp but instead…

"!" she screams.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	39. Black and White Ball Part 3

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Recap:** Students are wandering around the castle unaware that there is a lunatic inside, James gets angry when Lily accuses Sirius of bringing up an off-limits topic, Kristina is becoming chummy with a seventh year Hufflepuff; much to her surprise, Charlus decides to go to Hogwarts to check in on the students and his children, Severus takes Lily out of the Great Hall to try and protect her, and Bellatrix makes her first move; a move no one saw coming.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 39 – Black and White Ball Part 3

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 8 PM – 9 hours earlier**_

_CRASH!_

_Sirius: Sometimes you only see the danger in times of crisis and you tell yourself you should have known…and then it's too late._

Sirius and Marlene walk into an empty room, mainly to get warmer since they have been outside for a while.

"Looks like the power went out," he comments. "So much for making it only Muggle equipped for the night. They won't be able to fix it until tomorrow."

"Well, power's overrated," jokes Marlene. "That's why Wizards don't use it in normal circumstances." Sirius laughs.

"Here you go," he says, handing her a blanket that he Transfigured. "Are you warming up?"

"Well that depends," says Marlene. "If I stay in your arms definitely but if you let me go I might catch a chill."

He wraps his arms around her and moves her over to the couch.

"You're the only person I'd want to be here with," he whispers into her hair.

"Good because if you came here with anyone else I just might have to remove a certain part of your anatomy," she jokes. "And then we'd both be in some trouble."

Sirius winces. "Yeah, I'd say so."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Why is Voldemort so fixated on killing me that he's sending Bellatrix to do it?" Lily screams over the thunder.

"If he knew what her plan is, he wouldn't have. He wants you back as a hostage, not dead…at least not immediately." He shivers. "And to be honest, I don't even know the whole story of why he wants you dead in the first place," says Severus, beginning to walk away. "A lot of it doesn't make sense. The only thing that's clear though is we have to get you out of here and to the Ministry."

"I'm not going to the _Ministry_ and leaving everybody else behind!" Lily screams, her voice stinging already.

"Merlin, Lily, you had better then hope Bellatrix hasn't been able to get into Hogwarts!"

There is a high-pitched scream and both of them jump in shock. Someone is in trouble!

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Oh Merlin, I'll get help, I'll go find –" Miranda stutters. "I'll find someone."

There are footsteps behind, having heard her scream, and around the corner comes Lily and Severus.

"Oh, Merlin," gasps Lily. "What happ -?"

"Lily, I know you hate me and believe me, the feeling is mutual, but go get help!" yells Miranda.

Lily ran off and Severus said, "I'm coming with you."

"No!" yells Miranda. "No, stay here, you stay right here. He or she might come back!" Lily stares at Marc in shock.

"Be careful," warns Severus. Lily nods and runs off to go find some more help.

"Just hold on. Hold on. Hold on, it's okay," breathes Miranda.

Marc's eyes wander down to the floor, his breathing ragged and faint.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Kristina; meanwhile, is wandering three floors above them, wondering where in Merlin's name she is. She has never been in this part of the castle before and has no idea how she got here.

"Kristina, what are you doing?" asks Jacob, the boy she had danced with earlier.

"I was just going back to the Great Hall and somehow I ended up here," shrugs Kristina. "I have no idea how I got here, I've never even been in this part of the school before."

Jacob nods. "Want some company on the walk back? It's a while to go."

She shakes her head. "Not necessary, but thanks."

He looks at her closely. "You look upset. Did you have a fight with someone? A friend? Unless you're upset with me…"

"Why would I be?" asks Kristina confused.

"Well _something's_ bothering you."

"You're a great guy, Jacob, you didn't do anything. I did have a fight with someone, as a matter of fact, but not with someone I'd ever in a million years consider a friend."

"Okay, well if you're sure you're okay…" he says uncertainly. He begins to walk back in the other direction when she calls out to him.

"Wait!" He turns around. "Maybe a little company would be nice. Good company is hard to come by these days anyway."

Jacob laughs and motions her to follow him.

"This is the most direct route back to the Great Hall," he explains. "And for the record, you're in the Ancient Runes corridor, it just looks strange and eerie at night."

Kristina laughs also. "Good to know, now let's go."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Looks to me as if the clasp just snapped right off. Did you catch it on something?" asks James, looking at Karen.

"I – It was an accident," responds Karen.

"So in other words someone ripped it off of you. Well, it's certainly a beautiful antique," he says, handing it back to her.

"It was my great-grandmother's. The necklace was one of the few things she left from when she died so it means something to me." James nods, wondering who could be so mean to her.

"Well, I know what it's like to have a family heirloom passed down to my care and how upsetting it is when it gets broken." Karen nods. "Listen, you can cover all you want for whoever did this but somebody deliberately ripped your great-grandmother's antique necklace off."

Karen looks down at the broken necklace, mostly to avoid James' eyes.

"It's not a big deal," she says, shaking her head.

"Well I disagree. Does Jason know about this and if he does, why didn't he defend you? Or was he the one who did it?"

"It's easily fixable, it's really – really not a big deal. Don't worry about it."

"That's not the point," says James, getting up. He points his wand at the necklace, "_Reparo_." The necklace comes together again and Karen gapes at him, wondering why she had not thought to do that.

With one last fleeting look, he leaves to look for Lily.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Look, whoever you are, back off," says Nott, pushing Michael away from him. "Something's going on with Snape and the Mudblood Evans. Both have disappeared."

"Do – you have inside information about this?" Michael asks, turning around to face Nadine.

"No. I mean, I have no idea where Lily is."

"Why don't you just tell us what you do know?" suggests Nott harshly.

Nadine throws up her hands. "Some guy came up to me. He thought I was Lily because we're in the same dress with the same hair colour. He wanted to dance with her but he said he couldn't cut in so he asked me to do it for him."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Ready?" Charlus asks his two sons. They have come to help him, Jacob; who is twenty-one and Jack; whom is nineteen.

"You're never going to be able to get through the security, dad," says Jacob.

"If the Bellatrix can, I can," Charlus says stiffly. "And I have a feeling it's her because Voldemort isn't foolish enough to try and infiltrate the school."

"Bellatrix is a raving lunatic. She's got the other Death Eaters working every which way to get her in. I doubt she simply got in by walking up to the gates and Confunding them. Dad, she's smarter than that and you can't deny it."

"There's nothing smart about a raging, sociopath anywhere near a castle full of children. Are you coming or not?"

"Of course," both sons chorus.

"Then let's go."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Back off Nott, Nadine has told you everything she knows about Lily and Snape," says Michael.

Nott pushes past him. "Listen, if you didn't know the guy, why would you go out of your way to help him?"

"Because he asked," says Nadine like it is the most obvious thing in the world. "Because he seemed descent and had good intentions. Because it's a masquerade ball and _it sounded like fun_ or how about because I _felt_ like it and it didn't seem like the end of the world and if none of those answers satisfy you, then maybe _you're_ the problem and not this guy."

"Severus' intentions are only good depending on who you ask," sneers Nott. "Most would say he is foolish. Others would say he is a traitor."

"Anyway," continues Nott. "You don't know enough to be throwing around attitude and judgment. There's stuff going on you probably don't even know about, least of all understand."

"Oh yeah? Try me."

The doors to the Great Hall open and Lily comes running in looking petrified. Everyone turns to look at her and some people approach her asking what is the matter.

"We need help! Preferably someone training to be a Healer!" she screams. "Somebody stabbed Marc Davis!"

Everyone gasps and several seventh years run after her almost immediately.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You're acting like I told Alicia to go and rip that necklace off of Karen's neck," says Jessica.

"Okay Jessica, why don't you explain to me what happened," says Jason impatiently.

She sighs. "Alicia and Brooke saw that I was a little sad so they corralled me for some girl talk."

Jason's eyes practically bug out. "Girl talk. Wow. That phrase comes a whole multitude of sins, doesn't it?"

Jessica makes an angry face at him. "What does that mean?"

"It's always the same with you. Blame someone else and take it as your own emotional responsibility. Easier to play the victim to your friends and blame Karen –"

"Don't you _dare_ act like you know me because you don't," growls Jessica. "And you know damn well I didn't play the victim here. Alicia was the one who chose to go up and break Karen's necklace!"

"Do you know how immature it looks for you to be sulking in the corner like we had this great relationship and I broke up with you?"

"Excuse me, _you're_ the one that's immature. You're giving me mixed signals by dancing and having a great time then bringing me here to yell at me!"

"Stop making this all about you!"

He grabs the door handle and swings it open to see James standing outside of it.

"How many girls do you plan on leaving in tears tonight, huh?" James asks, fuming. He pushes Jason back with his fingers and Jason looks at Jessica in disbelief.

"James, what are you -?" begins Jessica.

"HUH?" yells James, pushing Jason again.

This time though Jason pushes back, as does James, which only results in James pushing Jason down to the ground and punching him repeatedly in the stomach.

"James!" Jessica yells, trying to get him to stop. "James, stop!"

"No! This son-of-a-bitch doesn't just get to decide who he wants to bully!" yells James, continually punching him. Jason is squirming, trying to get free but it proves impossible since James is more built than he.

"Potter, stop," says one of Jessica's friends, Jesse Daniels, walking into the room upon hearing his friend's screams.

James stops and slowly turns around to face Jesse.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A bunch of people are now standing in the corridor, two of them holding a towel to Marc's chest where the sword has pierced it, which is now being held by Severus. They want to first apply pressure to the wound before they heal it with magic.

"Is he going to be okay?" asks Miranda.

"He's alive. That's the most anyone could say right now," replies a seventh year Gryffindor. His name is Aaron Johnson. "I can see healing him being the easiest part. However, he lost a lot of blood since the sword went straight through and seeing as blood is not exactly in quick supply, replacing it may prove difficult."

"So a blood transfusion?" suggests Lily.

"Who has the same blood type as him though?"

"I don't know. Did the sword hit any arteries?"

"Yes," says a sixth year Hufflepuff. Her name is Julie Madison.

"Wouldn't it be better if we take him _off_ the floor?" suggests Miranda.

"What would be best for him is if he were in on a couch," says Julie.

"Who would do something like this?" asks Lily disbelievingly. No one answers her because none of them know.

"I suggest everyone proceed for the rest of the night with extreme caution," says Aaron. "It would be wise to not go anywhere alone. We're all vulnerable. Now, can you help us get him up?" he asks Severus.

"Who died and made you in charge?"

"Poor choice of words. Personally, I'm not too fond of you or Davis here, but it's his life on the line. Besides, my hands are soaked in blood and cramping, I don't think it should be wasted on nothing."

"Or here's a thought. Seeing as you're a Wizard, not a Muggle, why don't you _levitate_ him?"

Aaron bites his tongue.

"Fine," he says. "_Wigardium Leviosa!"_ He swishes and flicks and Marc is now floating limply in midair. "Conjure a stretcher."

Severus does as he is told this time without argument and the Gryffindor places Marc gently on it. The others follow them as they proceed back up to the Gryffindor tower.

"I can't believe how awful this is," says Lily. "I may not like Marc but no one deserves to be run through with a sword!"

"She's here," says Severus.

"Who?" asks Lily.

"Bellatrix," replies Severus, looking at Mulciber; whom has just arrived at the scene as the others are leaving. "In all her sadistic glory."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You know we're being extremely rude, not being at the party and all," points out Marlene. "We're neglecting our duty as guests and I'm fairly certain we're not allowed to even be out of the Great Hall."

"Look, we're probably not even missed," rationalizes Sirius. "Lily and James are busy watching over a thousand other students that they're not going to miss _two."_

"What if something happened though? I have a bad feeling that we're missing something important."

"If anything important was going on, we'd have heard."

"Okay, so you wouldn't just be _rationalizing_ to get your own way."

"And you wouldn't just be arguing with me just for the hell of it," retorts Sirius, but with a playful grin. "Listen to me. I'm with the only person I want to be with tonight and if no one finds us, that's even better."

"I won't argue with that," grins Marlene.

"And I also know that…you always want me for yourself," he grins, and Marlene laughs. "'Cause that's just the way it is."

"Ohh, there's that modesty."

"Am I wrong?"

"No. Not at all."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Get off of him," orders Jesse.

James sighs and stands up, looking like he regrets losing his temper. There seems to be a lot of that tonight.

"I have to go find Lily," James says suddenly.

"Why? Is she missing?" asks Jessica sharply.

"I haven't a clue."

"Could someone explain though why Potter here was beating up Jackson?" Jesse asks confused.

"James got angry and overprotective because he felt that Jason wasn't acting nice towards me," sighs Jessica. James glares at her.

"Is this true?" Jesse asks, looking at Jason.

"Jesse, you're one of my best friends but this doesn't concern you so butt out," cries Jessica.

"Like hell it doesn't!"

"I overreacted," intervenes James. "From my point of view it appeared that Jason was acting like an arse but it wasn't the case. They were just having a discussion." He looks at Jason. "Sorry."

"It's fine," says Jason, wincing as he gets up. "You've got a wicked left hook though." James smirks slightly.

"We need help right away, someone tried to kill Marc Davis," says Karen, running into the room.

"What? How? When?" cries James.

"That's not important right now, just come on!"

All five run out of the room and to the Gryffindor common room.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You think Bellatrix tried to kill Marc Davis? Muggle weaponry isn't exactly her style is it?" says Lily. "I'd imagine the Cruciatus Curse is more up her alley."

"The Bellatrix is crazy. She probably did this so no one would suspect it's her. Or just for kicks."

"I'm going back to the Great Hall," murmurs Lily. She secretly hopes that James will still be there waiting.

"No. That's exactly what the Bellatrix wants. To catch you alone so she can kill you."

"You keep saying that but it makes no sense. Why is Bellatrix so intent on killing me? Voldemort's tried multiple times and _failed!_ What makes you think _she'll_ succeed?"

"Because she has the element of surprise."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice is walking down the corridors alone, having been searching for Lily. While they were all waiting in the Great Hall she was concerned that perhaps someone else had been hurt.

She opens a supply closet to see if there is anything that can be of use to those upstairs. What she does not notice is that behind the open door stands Bellatrix with the last thing you would expect to see in her hand.

An ice pick.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Oh, thank Merlin we're back," sighs Kristina. "I thought we'd be wandering aimlessly forever." Jacob laughs. "Don't make fun of me!"

"Fine. I'll admit that this school is fairly confusing after hours," amends Jacob.

"Jacob Lewis, you shut the hell up!"

"Please, call me Jake."

"You two shouldn't be wandering around with a lunatic on the loose," says Remus, walking out of the Great Hall. "Stay in with the other people."

"What now?" asks Kristina.

"Apparently Marc Davis has been speared like a cocktail onion," says Remus dryly.

"Somebody speared him?" cries Jake in disbelief.

"Lily ran in saying that he's been stabbed and James sent me a Patronus saying that he was run through with a sword. This meaning that there's probably some nutcase running around. Safety in numbers, stay with the others, there's too many people already wandering around out there as it is."

"Did anyone go to find anything else useful for them?" asks Jake.

"Yeah, Alice Prewitt," murmurs Remus worriedly. "Come to think of it, she hasn't come back yet."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice walks out of the supply closet, leaving the door open and nearly runs into a fifth year Gryffindor.

"Erm, you wouldn't by any chance be heading to the common room, would you?"

"I would," smiles the fifth year.

"Could you do me a favour?"

"Anything for a pretty lady."

Alice smiles. "Could you take these towels up there? I think they're going to need a lot of them."

"Sure, no problem."

"Thank you," she smiles.

"Sure."

The door closes behind him slowly as he watches Alice walk back to the Great Hall and Bellatrix stands behind it ready, her ice pick pointed at the boy's back.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Bellatrix is after you for multiple reasons," says Severus. "One of those reasons is because Voldemort assigned her the mission but also, she wants to get revenge on nearly getting killed at the Potter Manor."

"But why does _Voldemort_ want to kill me?" asks Lily.

"For power…you know, because he feels you're competition but he'd never admit that. Another reason is because he knows that if you make it into the Order, he'll be finished."

"Why's that?" asks Lily confused.

"I've already said too much. We have to get you out of here before Bellatrix wanders to this area again."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Did you see who did this?" asks Jason. Marc shakes his head and Jessica stands up and walks over to Miranda.

"We haven't been able to stop the bleeding, even with magic," she says.

"Well Jessica, try harder," implores Miranda. She is ghostly white by this point.

Jessica nods and walks back over to the group.

"We need to evacuate him immediately," says Aaron. "We can bring him to St. Mungos to get proper treatment."

"Not in this weather and we don't have time for that and time is of the essence," says James. "I'm going to go back to the Great Hall and check on everyone. Can you lot make sure no one under fourth year leaves the common room?" The others nod and he runs out of the common room without another word.

"Okay, who's been specially training to become a Healer," asks Miranda. Aaron and Jason raise their hands. "You two are the ones that should be fixing him then, not all these other people."

"They're helping us keep him stable," says Aaron coolly. "Besides, we still need a blood transfusion."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?" asks Remus, banging on the piano to get their attention. Several people jump in surprise and protest at the noise.

"Before the rumours get started and we have a panic here, here's the situation. The party seems to have taken a bit of a _turn_. Along with the storm and – the lack of electricity…and the music," he adds, scratching his head. "We've got a – _freak_ wandering around, wielding not only a wand but an ice pick."

"Now, the fewer hysterics and yahoos running around trying to play hero, the fewer bodies we'll have to pile up."

Everyone is silent, staring at him in shock, never having heard his dry humour much before.

"Now on the _positive_ side," he continues cheerfully. "There's a lot of food and booze around here somewhere. So kick back and get loaded, eat, drink, be merry, it's a PARTY!" he cries, throwing his arms up. "Yeah, come on it's a party."

One person claps, that person being James who has just walked in and over to him.

"Great speech," he snorts.

"Merlin, what a crowd."

"All right, well you seem to have a handle on everything here seeing how everybody looks too depressed to move," says James, clapping Remus' shoulder. "I'm gonna go find Lily."

"I'm coming with you," says Severus who has recently rejoined the crowd.

"No you're – Wait a second, I thought you were with Lily."

"I was but then we got separated and I want to help find her even if it means going with _you_."

"Well then stay here and help keep these people in line."

"All right, you know what? You can't keep me here," snarls Severus. He walks past James and out the doors.

"Wait, why'd you let Snape go?" asks Remus puzzled.

"Well, because – erm – maybe he'll end our grief by being the next shish on the kabob."

Remus claps his shoulder and walks back over to Margaret.

"Well, there goes the voice of humanity as usual, eh Potter?" sneers Mulciber.

"Feel free to join your spawn on the skewer," says James coldly.

"You'd like to see me skewed like a Florida groopa, wouldn't you?"

"Well, it _would_ make it a party again."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Remus! Remus!" Margaret calls after him. "Wait!" He stops and allows her to catch up to him.

"Look, I'm going go find Alice since I have no idea where Frank is," says Remus.

"Okay, I'm going to come with you."

"Listen, I know you can handle yourself but I would worry about you and I just can't afford that distraction."

Margaret looks like she wanted to argue but bites her lip.

"Okay…all right, at least for now," she says. Remus kisses her on the cheek before running off.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"We've done just about everything we can," says Aaron. "All we need is the blood transfusion and then we can patch him up easy."

"Did Marc happen to say anything about who did this to him?" asks Frank, who has just joined them.

"He wasn't very coherent," says Miranda.

"We should try and do something for the pain," says Nadine.

"I can do that," says Jessica. She waves her wand over his chest and mutters some words. Everyone else is silent, watching her and Marc. "Okay, that ought to make him feel numb so he can't feel the pain."

"Alright. Jessica, Karen, Aaron, and I will stay here and everybody else go back to the Great Hall," orders Jason.

"I'm not leaving," says Miranda. "_I'm_ the one who found Marc after all."

"I'll bring the rest back to the Great Hall," offers Frank. "Let's go."

They walk out and Miranda bends down next to Marc and says, "I know you like to be the center of attention but this is a little extreme, don't you think?"

Marc smiles in his sleep, having heard a familiar voice and no one says anything else.

"I'm going to step aside for a little bit," says Jessica. The others nod and she walks away from the couch and to the other side of the room where an alcove is. She is beginning to feel slightly queasy.

She remains standing and stares at her white mask, trying hard not to cry about everything that has happened so far tonight. Fifteen minutes later, Jason comes over to her.

"Marc's lost a lot of blood, it doesn't look too good for him." He pauses. "Look, I didn't mean to rub your nose in anything by asking Karen to stay."

Jessica looks away and down at the floor, trying to steady herself against the wall but is finding it extremely difficult.

"Jessica?" says Jason worriedly.

Without warning, she falls back and Jason just barely catches her before she hits the floor. What he does not see though is Karen right behind him, just having come over to give them an update, who just heard the entire encounter.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice is wandering around aimlessly, trying to figure out how to get back to the Great Hall and somehow she ends up on the first floor, but on the other end of the castle.

She walks in the door and there is a mirror. She goes for a closer look, expecting to see her reflection but it is her, Frank, and a young boy. She smiles and pries herself away from the mirror to go see if anything that can help her is in the room.

What she does not notice is the reflection in the mirror of the door opening, revealing Bellatrix's reflection.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Charlus and his sons Apparated to Hogsmeade and are now running down the streets of it. They are getting closer and closer to the school, so close that they can see it in the distance.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Freeze," says Severus and James together, their wands trained on the other.

"Ugh, it's only you," mutters James but neither lowers his wand. "You talk a good game about caring about Lily, you know. You say you care about her, yet you let her wander off with a deranged nutcase on the loose."

"It was dark…I was confused –"

"Oh please, you know your way around the castle as well as I do after hours," says James. "I don't have time for this." He lowers his wand and walks away to continue his search for Lily.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice walks back out of the closet, having found nothing of any use. She is about to leave when she sees another closet that she had not noticed before.

She opens the closet and shrieks as the body of the fifth year falls out, knocking her down and enabling her to see an ice pick in his back. She gasps in horror at the blood trickling down his back and onto the floor, surrounding her feet.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Lily! Everyone is so worried about you," cries Margaret. Lily has just walked back into the Great Hall, pale as a ghost. "Did you happen to run into Alice?"

"No, I haven't seen her for hours," replies Lily concerned.

"Remus went searching for her but told me to stay here. Can you stay with me?"

"Sure, no problem," says Lily. She hugs Margaret. "I'm sure Remus will be fine, Maggie. He's been through so much and he's so strong." Margaret nods worriedly.

"I know."

James walks back into the Great Hall and closes the door after him.

"And that, ladies and gents, as they say, is that," he says. "In the interest of safety we will remain on _this side_ of the doors and hopefully the sword-wielding lunatic will remain on the outside."

Everyone is silent and Lily watches James steadily, as lightening strikes and behind her illuminates the figure of Bellatrix.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review! I hope this makes some more sense!


	40. Black and White Ball Part 4

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Recap:** Sirius and Marlene detach themselves from the party; rendering them unaware of the circumstances, Jacob and Kristina get closer on their way back to the Great Hall, Charlus enlists his second and third eldest son in the task of entering Hogwarts, tempers are running high; especially James', Marc's (who has been run through with a sword) condition is getting not better; but worse.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 40 – Black and White Ball Part 4

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 9 PM – 8 hours earlier**_

_CRASH!_

_Alice: When you're alone in the dark, you never know who might be coming for you. Or why._

She opens the closet and shrieks as the body of the fifth year falls out, knocking her down and enabling her to see an ice pick in his back. She gasps in horror and breathes heavily. Blood is trickling down the boy's back and the damage has been done. He is dead.

She slowly inches away from him and lights her wand, pointing it at him. She gets to her feet unsteadily and looks around, very paranoid about someone else being in the room.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Charlus and his sons arrive at the gates of the school finally and look up.

"Who's there?" asks the gate.

"Charlus Potter, Jacob Potter, and Jack Potter," speaks Charlus loudly, trying to compete with the thunder.

The gates open, recognizing the names from the Order and allows them access in.

What they do not know is that more Death Eaters are coming in with them, one being a male with slicked back, long blonde hair. It is the same Death Eater whom Charlus had tried interrogating earlier.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sirius walks up from behind Marlene and kisses her neck, making her tense slightly but then relax.

"What is _so_ fascinating?" he asks, having noticed her scrutinizing gaze out the window.

"Well, it's hard to make out in the rain but it looks like a group of people coming up to the school," says Marlene, squinting through the window.

Sirius spins her around. "I'm not interested in this," he says, pointing out the window. "I'm interested in right now," he finishes, indicating to them.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The three run up to the door and push it open together and enter.

"Wow, it feels surreal being back in here again," says Jacob, and Jack nods.

"We don't have time for this, we have to go find out what's going on," says Charlus.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"It is people," says Marlene, still looking out the window.

"I hope it's worth the trip," says Sirius, before walking away from the window. "Come on."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily picks up her white mask and stares at it, not noticing Bellatrix behind her and the smirk on her face.

"Oh, thank Merlin, are you okay Lily?" asks Frank, coming up to her with Nadine and Michael. "We were all worried, especially James. Has he talked to you yet?"

"No, he's trying to calm down some hysteric fourth years and yes, I'm fine, thank you," smiles Lily. "I wasn't in any danger, though…_immediate_ anyway."

"With all due respect, you got lucky," says Michael, "and luck can sometimes run out so _please_, please for the remainder of the night do not dance with any phantom strangers!"

"Why do I get the feeling that this phantom isn't a stranger?" asks Nadine. Lily does not say anything.

"Again, remember everybody, killers do not generally wear sandwich boards so be aware, he or she can be anywhere on the grounds, including in this room," warns James.

"That's a scary thought," says Brooke terrified. Alicia rubs her back.

"Well don't panic, we'll all be safe if we stay here together. Strength in numbers and all that, eh?"

No one replies.

Kristina is walking around and notices something out of the corner of her eye. It is a woman in a dark cloak but she cannot see her face.

She walks away slowly and rejoins the crowd.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily is wandering around when she drops her mask. She kneels down behind it and lightening flashes, revealing Bellatrix standing behind her with her wand.

She stands back up again and walks away back to where everyone else is.

"Lily!" cries James, running over to her. She hugs him tightly. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Around," she says. "Nice speech," she teases. He does not smile though.

"Don't joke right now! I thought you might be –" he begins.

"Well I'm not," says Lily, cutting him off. "As you can see, I'm perfectly fine."

"Except for the fact that you're a marked woman. How did you get away from Snape?"

"It wasn't hard, I just disappeared around the corner when it was too dark to tell."

"A true Marauder at heart," grins James. Lily smiles as well.

There is a knock on the door and everyone gasps and falls silent.

"Who is it?" asks James.

"It's Charlus, Jacob, and Jack Potter," shouts Charlus.

"Dad?" murmurs James confused. He opens the door and his father and two older brothers walk in. He hugs all three of them and then asks, "What are you guys doing here?"

"Your mother had a feeling something was going amiss here with all the faculty gone. Is she right?"

"Yeah, we have a killer among us."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Kristina looks back at where the hooded woman is standing and the woman waves to her subtly. Kristina walks over to where Lily is standing alone.

"Can I speak to you for a minute?" she asks.

"If this is about your trying to get Sirius or that fight you just provoked with Marlene, I'm not really interested in anything you have to say."

"Look, I'm sorry about that, really I am," says Kristina, sincere for a change, "but maybe we could put our differences aside for three seconds so we can discuss the maniac that's loose in the castle? Do you know everyone that came here tonight?"

"I – I think so."

"Okay. What about that woman in the cloak?" she asks, pointing to the corner. "She looks a little old to be a student, doesn't she?"

"What woman?" snaps Lily.

Kristina turns around only to find the woman gone and when she turns around to face Lily again she has left as well.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"This is silly, I'm not sick," mutters Jessica irritably.

"Jessica, you almost passed out," says Jason.

"I just – I had a moment. I'm fine now and I don't need the two of you hovering over me."

"Go check on how Aaron's doing with Marc," Jason says to Karen.

"Yeah, of course," she says, walking back to the other side of the room.

"I don't need you hovering solo either," implores Jessica.

"Jessica, you almost fainted," repeats Jason.

"Yeah I know, I heard you the first time. You don't have to worry about me," she snaps.

"Well I am worried about you, like it or not." She sighs.

"Sorry I snapped," she says grudgingly.

"It's alright, it's been an edgy night. What happened?"

She looks at him. "I honestly don't know, I – I saw Marc's blood on my mask and I thought it was mine. I know, it's weird…It just felt like something had happened to me, or that something is going to."

Both of them look at each other, worry etched on both of their faces.

Meanwhile, Miranda is holding the towel to Marc's chest, staring at him.

"How's he doing?" Karen asks Aaron. "Can you tell?"

"Well, we know the sword hit an artery but we were able to fix it up fairly well," he replies. "So, the good thing is the bleeding stopped. Now all we really need to do is get a blood transfusion to make up for the lost blood." They look at Marc.

"Don't move," insists Miranda as Marc begins to cringe in pain. Apparently what Jessica had done to relieve it has worn off.

"Don't move, everything's going to be fine." She turns to Aaron. "What can we do for the pain?"

"Give him some wine, that ought to make him drunk enough to not notice," suggests Aaron.

Miranda holds the glass of wine that was brought with someone from the Great Hall to Marc's mouth and he drinks it. He coughs.

"This isn't how I wanted to spend my evening," he says weakly.

"Everything's going to be fine," repeats Miranda.

"You're a terrible liar when you're scared."

She looks at him, not saying anything else, too shocked to speak.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice keeps panting and moves faster and faster away from the boy, towards the door. She reaches out and pulls the door open.

She is about to walk out when she hears another door open and she backs back in, afraid it is the killer. She looks back at the boy and hears the approaching footsteps.

She runs back to the fifth year and kneels over him and grabs the ice pick. With a lot of effort, she finally manages to pull it out of him and gasps. It had gone through most of him and is drenched in blood.

The doorknob begins turning and she stands behind the door, the ice pick in her hand, her wand forgotten. The door opens and stays still for a moment before closing again.

Alice lets out the breath she had not realized she had been holding. She listens at the door, trying to hear if anyone else is outside before reopening it. She walks out and looks up and down the corridor before running back in the direction she believes to be towards the Great Hall.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"We have to evacuate the school, it's not safe here," says Charlus.

"Where do you suggest evacuating us to? There are already people wandering around the corridors and you don't know who we can trust and whom we can't," points out James.

"Besides, you'll never make it out with so many people in this weather," reasons Kristina. "Only about two sevenths of the school can Disapparate out of here and what? Are the rest just going to walk? We don't have enough brooms and for Merlin's sake, weather wouldn't permit it even if we did!"

"Well if we can't get out of here we're going to have to send for Professor Dumbledore," says Charlus.

"How? They could be trapped in Bulgaria for all we know!" argues James. "It was a setup!"

"Your mother thinks that Professor Dumbledore didn't go with them though."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Lecturing you makes me feel like a hypocrite but you have to do what James said and stay put," implores Margaret.

"Would you want to stay here if you were in my place?" asks Lily.

"Don't use me as a role model."

"Bellatrix Lestrange is crazy."

"Yeah, well that's no secret."

"No you don't understand, she's really crazy, she's here, Severus was who told me."

"You trust him?"

"Not completely and though I regret saying it, he seems to know Bellatrix fairly well. When it comes to this I trust his instincts." Margaret nods.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Marlene slowly inches away from Sirius as he is kissing up her neck. He looks at her surprised.

"I'm probably going to regret ruining a perfectly romantic moment but –" she begins.

"Then don't," intervenes Sirius, putting his arms around her.

"Okay, no, see now I don't have to because you did. I'm not the kind of woman you can shush because I'm about to say something you don't wanna hear." He does not say anything and looks down. "You know, sometimes I think you bought into the Marlene McKinnon persona more than you realize."

"How so?" asks Sirius, looking up and into her eyes. Her heart skips a beat.

"Well, you forget how alike we are. We're both Purebloods but don't give a damn about it and we both come from screwed over families. Somehow, though, it didn't screw _us_ up."

"I'm the last person to deny that you're a strong woman but I don't think anything that you've been through, can prepare you for a relationship with me."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Dad?" says Jessica surprised. "What are you doing here? Are we going to able to get out of here?" Charlus has just entered the common room and made a beeline for his youngest child.

"I don't think so. Not until morning," replies Charlus. He looks at Jason calculatingly but does not say anything. "How's Marc?"

"Fine last we heard but perhaps you should see for yourself," says Jason. Charlus looks at him again and then walks to the other end of the room where the rest are. "He seems to like me," Jason mutters to Jessica, who smiles slightly.

"Don't take it too personally. My father has never liked _any_ guy I associate with regardless of how nice a person they are." She walks after him and he stares at her for a moment before following her.

"We'll need a blood transfusion or he's not going to be able to make it," continues Jason once he arrives.

Charlus looks down at Marc. "I'm impressed. You all seem to know what you're doing for a couple of sixth and seventh years still in school. When we get out of here I'm going to talk to the Head nurse at St. Mungos about this –"

The door slams open and a burly man of about six foot, six and a half inches walks in gobsmacked. He has electric blue eyes and brown hair.

Just like Marc.

"Who are you?" asks Miranda, whom is holding the towel.

"I'm Jonathon Davis," says the man. "I'm Marc's father."

"That's impossible, Marc said both of his parents were dead," says Miranda.

"He's a liar and he told that to anyone who would listen. His mother passed away several years ago but I'm as healthy as can be."

"Why would Marc lie about such a huge thing?" asks Jessica. Charlus looks at his daughter with a look that says "this-isn't-any-of-our-business". He has worked with Jonathon Davis before and he an obstinate, extremely opinionated man who hardly had time for family. Clearly it resulted in estrangement from his only son.

"Because he hates me," Mr. Davis says shortly.

"I'm going to go down and check on everyone. We need to figure out how to gather everyone back together," says Charlus, clearing his throat. He walks out the door and closes it behind him.

Mr. Davis takes one last fleeting look at his son and is about to leave when:

"Oh! Hey, hey, wait a second," says Miranda, standing up. She walks over to where Mr. Davis had stopped, mid-step. Karen takes her place at holding the towel. "You're not going to just look at him and _leave?"_

"Well, there's nothing I can do for him," says Mr. Davis like it is the most obvious thing in the world. "He's all patched up and ready for transport. He's going to be fine. But there is a mad man or woman still loose in this castle and I've got to get out of here."

What brings Miranda to do it, she does not know; especially because she could have gotten in a lot of trouble, but she swings back and slaps him hard. The whole room goes silent in shock.

"You selfish bastard," she growls.

He turns to look at her, anger in his eyes.

"I have my own experience with a lousy father so I thought _nothing_ could surprise me but – this does, this surprises me. Your utter disinterest in your own son is absolutely _shocking_ to me. That you can look at him, bleeding to death from that couch and have no reaction at all, is unfathomable."

"You remind me a lot of my father: You can't be bothered, you constantly work, and you hardly know anything about your own child. How Marc can look at you, I don't know and honestly, I'm not so sure I want to because I fear that it is too sad to hear."

"You're a _failure_," she whispers. "You are. You have failed your son in every possible way. I wouldn't be surprised if you scared him and crippled him because he wasn't able to live up to your punitive standards and you don't have the _decency_ to sit by his bedside for _five minutes_ and offer him a word, or – or a touch that would cost you _nothing! _I understand that you don't think much of your son and for a while neither did I but from where I'm standing, from what I'm able to see, he's worth _a thousand_ of you."

Mr. Davis stares at her and does not say a word in response because he probably knows she is right. He turns around and walks out of the room, leaving Miranda in shock.

She turns around again and looks at Marc.

"I thought you didn't like me," he says, his eyes still closed.

Miranda sighs and looks around the room, wishing that this nightmare would be over.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Hey, are you okay?" Nadine asks Lily, sitting down next to her.

Lily nods. "I just can't believe this ball turned into a killing spree and that we're all trapped in here like sardines."

"It'll be fine, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before the culprit or culprits are caught."

"It's Bellatrix Lestrange," blurts out Lily. Nadine looks at her in surprise.

"How do you know?"

"Severus told me."

"Severus Snape? You trust him?" Lily is reminded of when Margaret said that.

"To some degree. Severus has…he has conflicting loyalties," says Lily uncomfortably. "I trust his instincts though and can tell when he's lying and when he's not."

"You must have been good friends," says Nadine. "What happened?"

"In our fifth year he called me a Mudblood and did some other questionable things," replies Lily, and Nadine winces.

"I'm a Muggleborn too and it hurts to be called such a dreadful name. It must have been horrible being called it by your best friend."

Lily nods. "It was."

"I've been thinking about it a lot, especially tonight, and maybe I just speak for myself but…being a Muggleborn when you first learned about your true identity did you think everything about the Wizarding World was – for lack of a better term – _magical?"_

Lily smiles and nods. "I remember the first time I walked into Diagon Alley. Everything seemed so large when in reality, I was just small." Nadine laughs. "I remember thinking that I would finally be in the place that I belong and that I'd be escaping the violence of the Muggle world."

"Kind of ironic, isn't it?" Nadine says solemnly, and Lily nods.

Lily hesitates. "Could you do me a favour?"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice continues to walk down the corridors, the ice pick in one hand and her wand in the other. Thunder and lightening keeps striking; nearly making her jump out of her skin each time it does.

She is about to round the corner when somebody grabs her arm and she spins around, both her ice pick and wand ready.

"Take it easy, I'm not going to hurt you!" says Severus, his hands in the air where she can see them.

She breathes heavily, her heartbeat twice as fast as before.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily walks quietly to the big entry doors of the Great Hall, her white mask to her face, and puts her hand on the doorknob. Slowly she opens the door and exits.

Meanwhile, Nadine keeps to the spot that both her and Lily were occupying several minutes ago.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Get away from me," says Alice coldly, the ice pick still ready in her hand.

Severus backs up, his hands remaining in the air.

"You shouldn't be wandering these corridors alone," he states.

"For all I know you could have killed that boy," says Alice, disgust in her voice.

"What boy?" asks Severus sharply.

"He fell on me, out of the closet."

"I didn't kill him," says Severus, horror evident in his voice. "But you're right, you barely know me and you have no reason to trust me or take my word after what I did to Lily. Get down to the ballroom as soon as you can, though."

He keeps his hands where Alice can see them and walks away, leaving her terrified and breathing heavily.

She looks around the corner to see if anyone is coming and still breathes heavily. She makes a large, red "X" on the door so someone will find the boy later and she continues on her quest back to the Great Hall.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Who's side are you on?" snarls Mulciber. Behind him stands Avery and Amycus.

"The D-Dark Lord's, of course," whispers Peter terrified.

"Then why don't you show where your loyalties lie?" asks Avery.

"I-I believe it p-prudent not to show m-my true c-colours yet," falters Peter.

"Rubbish. You're afraid of what your 'friends' will do to you," sneers Mulciber. "We know you, Pettigrew. You won't step out of one boat until your securely in the next and you know that you won't be secure when you're in a separate House from us."

"N-No, I –"

"Oh, just shut up you lying piece of trash!" growls Amycus.

"_Excuse me?"_ cries Margaret. All four boys turn to face her. _"How old are you?_ This isn't a sandbox! People are in _real_ danger here and all you can think to do is bully Peter? Because _why?_ You have nothing better to do? Grow _UP!"_

Alicia, who had, had a great view of Margaret yelling grins and walks away after her. Peter also takes his chance then and runs away from the other three, leaving them fuming.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Michael, deciding that he should check on her, walks over to see how Lily is doing and almost does a double take when he sees whom it is.

"Nadine?"

"Shh," she hisses. She motions him to sit down next to her. After he does she says, "Lily was _determined_ to do this. I don't think she'd appreciate if you rat her out."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Are you all right, Miss Smith?" asks Charlus.

"Yes, aside from feeling ridiculous and petty. I don't even know _where_ that outburst came from. Mr. Potter, I think there's something wrong with me."

"Tensions are running high tonight and honestly, I'd be surprised if after hearing what they said you _didn't_ lose it. Would you like me to find Remus though?"

"No, no, I appreciate that but no, he'd think that something's wrong and we need him to find Alice."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Aaron has taken Miranda's place of holding the towel over Marc's wound. They have stopped the bleeding but his pulse is slightly irregular.

"Did you see anything that could point us to who did this to you, Davis?" Aaron asks him.

"No," he sighs. "It was too dark."

"Okay."

"Thinking back, was my father here -?" he begins, trying to shift positions but groans in pain.

"Hey, hey Davis, stay still," he implores. "Sorry, is the pain bad?"

"Only when I breathe," he says sarcastically.

"He can't be too bad if he hasn't forgotten how to get on everyone's nerves," Miranda mutters to Aaron who smirks.

"Here, why don't you have a little brandy?" Aaron suggests. "That'll probably ease some of the pain since it seems to be lasting longer than our magic."

"Mr. Davis was here, Marc," says Miranda. "He looked in on you but he was so out of it that he –" Aaron looks at her. "He went to try and help Mr. Potter brainstorm on getting everyone out."

Marc looks at her like she has five heads.

"_My_ father?"

"Listen," says Aaron. "Don't worry about your father, okay? Just focus on conserving your strength."

Marc nods slightly as the Karen walks over. Miranda walks over to where Karen is standing.

"Jason asked me to check on Marc," explains Karen. Miranda nods and Karen walks over to where Marc and Aaron are.

Aaron gets out of the way and Karen kneels down next to Marc to examine him.

"I've noticed that Davis seems to be interested in you," comments Aaron. Miranda looks at him surprised.

"Does that upset you in some way?" she asks baffled.

"Is the feeling mutual?"

"That's a rather personal question, don't you think, Aaron? We're hardly confidants, let alone friends."

"I was just going to say that between the issues that he has with Lily and her friends and the constant disapproval he must get from his father, it would be nice if he had someone like him in his life. But you're right, it's really none of my business since I don't hold any kind of friendship with either one of you."

He walks back to where Karen and Marc are, leaving Miranda alone to think on what he just said.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Jessica is still sitting in the alcove staring at her mask.

"Let's not give scary premonitions a lot of credence," says Jason, taking her mask and smiling at her. "After all, look what's happened tonight. No wonder your thoughts are drifting."

"When we were fighting earlier, the things I said to you –"

"Were based in part of truth," Jason says, cutting her off. "I acted like an arse and I'm sorry for that. I shouldn't have jumped to the conclusion that you sent Alicia after Karen. It wasn't fair."

Jessica does not say anything and Jason stands up, handing her back her mask. He walks across the room to the couch leaving Jessica to stare after him.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"It's a little late in the game to convince me that you're not good for me, don't you think?" says Marlene. "Trust me, I've already tried myself. You changed my life."

"I'm just telling you fact, Marlene. I love you but I'm bound to do something to screw up our relationship. I always do with every girl I've been out with."

"I thought you said I'm different from the others."

"You are!" he says hastily. "You're the first girl I honestly care deeply about."

"Then I don't see why you'd do something to ruin our relationship," she states plainly. "If you love me as much as you claim and I love you, like you know I do, neither one of us should have a problem."

Sirius smiles. "I know I've said this a million times but I love you."

"Even after the millionth and first time I still love hearing it come out of your mouth," she says, smiling also.

He grins and leans in to kiss her, cupping her face with his hands.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Bellatrix looks around, mostly in search of another victim but knowing Lily Evans, she knows she will probably come looking for her as soon as she is tipped off a killer is in the midst and that she is after _her._ She will not want other people to get hurt for no reason.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily runs down the corridors and is about to go up the steps when she nearly collides with Severus.

"What are you doing wandering this castle alone?" he hisses, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her back.

"If Bellatrix's coming after me like you said the solution's easy! Let her find me."

Severus stares at her in shock.

"Don't you understand how dangerous Bellatrix is in the best of circumstances?" asks Severus furiously.

"I get it. Bellatrix is seriously nuts but I'm just saying we can lure her out! If we can do that, she can be captured and Voldemort will lose his best servant!"

"You're not listening to me! Bellatrix didn't finish with Marc Davis. She just killed another one of the students, probably for no reason other than she passed the bloke in the hallway!" Lily gasps. "I told you, Bellatrix is insane, but she's not stupid. The only thing you'll accomplish by putting yourself up as bait is getting killed."

"Lily, why the hell are you in the _middle of the corridor_ with _Snape_?" asks James angrily, coming up from behind.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Michael jumps up. "Lily is taking a terrible risk!" he hisses.

"I agree but what we think doesn't matter! Lily has her reasons."

"I fear that she's drawn to danger," says Michael.

"Or maybe she's just drawn to being alive," replies Nadine. "Some people sit on the sidelines and watch the world pass them by and in case you haven't noticed, Lily is not one of them. Maybe there's a lesson in it."

Michael looks like he has had an epiphany.

"Thank you," he says. "You are very wise." He runs off before she can respond.

"What did I say?" she speaks to herself. She turns around slightly and puts her mask back on.

"Not so fast, Michael," says Charlus, catching Michael before he can run out. "You and I have a few things to discuss." He drags him back, ignoring his protests of having to find Lily for James.

There is a knock on the door.

Margaret runs to get it. "Who is it?" she asks.

"It's Remus!"

She opens the door quickly and hugs Remus tightly.

"Where's Alice?" she asks worried.

"I couldn't find Alice," replies Remus to her and Frank.

"Neither could I. I tried looking for her," says Frank terrified.

"I'm sure Alice is all right," comforts Margaret, though she herself is also terrified. "She can definitely hold her own."

"We're talking about a mad person. There's no telling who he or she is or what they're capable of."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Nadine remains seated there, with her mask up to her face when suddenly a hand goes over her mouth. She tries to scream or struggle to escape but the person is too strong and drags her back.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Karen walks out across the room and sees Jessica still sitting there.

"Jason wants you," she says.

Jessica nods. "I'm sorry about the whole necklace thing," she says.

"It wasn't your doing."

"I'm glad you fixed it though."

"Actually, you're brother fixed it."

"Which one?" laughs Jessica, and Karen chuckles as well.

"James, the really handsome one." Jessica resists the urge to snort. Yes, that is how most girls refer to James.

"Well, regardless I'm glad there was no lasting damage."

Karen smiles slightly and they walk across the room.

"How is he?" asks Jessica, kneeling down next to Jason.

"Yeah, how am I?" asks Marc faintly. "I'd like to know if I'm going to die or not."

"Good because you need to know this. We've reached a critical point," replies Jason. "If we don't get a blood transfusion soon and close you back up, you may start bleeding again and bleed to death. If Aaron and I do manage to close you back up, seeing as we're not trained Healers, we might kill you."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice walks down what appears to be the same corridor as she did fifteen minutes ago. She is so confused of where she is that she begins losing hope of ever making it back alive.

She looks both ways as she rounds the corridor and kept her ice pick in her hand, knowing that if she discards it now it can be used again but on her or someone else.

She opens a door and sees the body of the boy who had been stabbed in the back, no pun intended. She cries in despair, now certain that she had in fact traveled in a circle. Apparently her "X" had worn off or was taken off so she recasts it.

She backs out of the room, breathing heavily once more and feels a hand cover her mouth. She tries to scream but it is muffled and she cannot use the knife without risk of hurting herself.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Marlene and Sirius are now barely concealed by a blanket, kissing under the candlelight when the door opens.

"Marlene?" says a familiar voice. Marlene tries to hide her body from him by leaning closer to Sirius. No complaints are coming from him.

"Chuck Blaire," he greets. "Long time, no chat. Tell me, are you surprised to see us here together?"

Chuck stares at the two of them in surprise and mild disgust, but mostly hurt.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Snape is dangerous," says James. "Come back to the Great Hall with me right now Lily, you can't trust him."

"Bellatrix is somewhere in this castle and she's already started killing people. If we don't –" begins Severus.

"Save your breath!" says James. "Lily's coming back to the Great Hall with me." He reaches for her hand but she does not respond. "Right?"

She gave him no response and stares at both them because in truth, she does not know which she believes more. She realizes that this will be the final choice. Whomever she goes off with will show officially where her loyalties lie.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice desperately tries to scream and squirm out of whomever's grip she is under but to no prevail.

The person lets go of her mouth.

"It's okay."

"Frank," she breathes, hugging him.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Nadine is thrown into a room and her captor closes the door.

"What is your _problem?"_ she screams then gasps when she sees who it is.

Bellatrix stares at her. "You're not who I wanted!"

Nadine snorts. "Yeah, I've been getting that a lot tonight. So, okay I'm not the one, no harm done, I'll just – go."

"You're afraid of me," she says, smirking. "Most people are. I find that useful."

"What do you want?" she asks, dropping her mask on the table.

"Lily Evans," she states plainly. "But since you're all I can get for now –" She pulls out her wand. "Let's have a little fun."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	41. Black and White Ball Part 5

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Recap:** Alice tries to find her way back, Charlus and his two sons enter Hogwarts with some other people though they do not know that, Kristina tries to talk to Lily but the latter blows her off annoyed, Marc is in critical condition, Nadine fills in for Lily and disappears, Lily has to make the hardest decision of her life.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 41 – Black and White Ball Part 5

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 10 PM – 7 hours earlier**_

_CRASH!_

_Nadine: There are two choices when you're scared. Run and hide or stand and fight._

"Please, tell me what happened," says Frank once Alice has released him.

"I went looking for towels and ended up lost and wandering around this damn castle," replies Alice. "Did you know it's very confusing after hours?"

Frank says nothing and looks around, calculating their surroundings.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"What the hell are you doing here?" asks Chuck.

"Where'd you think I'd be Blaire? Kissing your arse?"

"I don't give a damn about _you._ What stunned me is seeing Marlene here with you like this."

Sirius stands up and walks over to him, his pants still on but not his shirt.

"All right Blaire, conversation over," he says. "Leave."

"No, I – I came to tell Marlene that Marc was stabbed," says Chuck. "Someone ran him through with a sword."

"And why would Marlene give a damn about Marc?" asks Sirius. Marlene bites her lip and Chuck looked at her.

"You didn't tell him that you cheated on me with him?"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You can't trust him, Lily, you have no reason to anymore," begs James. "Please, let me take you back to the Great Hall where you'll be safe."

"You might not make it back to the Great Hall," says Severus bluntly. Lily gasps and looks at him in shock.

"He's just trying to scare you, Lily."

"I'm just trying to save your life."

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend_

_Somewhere along in the bitterness_

_And I would have stayed up with you all night_

_Had I known how to save a life_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"What games do you think we should play?" asks Bellatrix, twirling her wand. "Personally I like to make it quick and simple, that way the pain is over quick, but I like you. I think I should draw out our friendship for a little longer."

"Get away from me!" yells Nadine, pointing her wand at Bellatrix.

"You're a lot of fun even though you're the wrong person," cackles Bellatrix. Her laugh pierces Nadine's skin and makes it crawl.

"Stand back!" she screams.

"Get out! Hurry, hurry!" she mocks. It is much more fun this way than just killing everyone she meets immediately. "If you turn your back, I'll get you!" she says, continuing to twirl her wand.

The door opens and Michael runs in. Nadine groans.

"Halt, demented denizen of darkness!" he yells. "Leave the fair Nadine alone!"

Bellatrix's cold laugh echoes throughout the room.

"Come on in!" she cries. "The more the merrier!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Why are you here by yourself?" asks Frank.

"Well, as I said I was looking for something to help them upstairs with Marc and I thought it would only take a few minutes," confesses Alice, "but this castle is so different in the dark. I got turned around and I couldn't find my way back."

"Okay. Did you see the killer?"

"No, but I was in this classroom and the closet door was opened so I looked inside and a dead fifth year fell out on me!"

"Did you recognize him?"

"I had just asked him to help me bring some towels to the common room and somebody stabbed him with – with this ice pick."

"What did he look like? How tall was he, how much did he weigh?" asks Frank.

"He was blonde, short, slender," says Alice. "I also ran into Severus Snape."

"What'd he say?" asks Frank sharply.

"Not much. He backed off but he seemed to understand what was going on. We have to tell everyone in the Great Hall, you know, if we can find our way back. I'm just _lost."_

"Wait, wait, Charlus is there and so are Jacob and Jack. They can take care of the other students," says Frank.

"Okay, but shouldn't we -?"

"My top priority is making sure that you're safe," he cuts her off. He extends his hand to her and she takes it, running off with him.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Both Sirius and Marlene are dressed now and no one is talking.

"You hooked up with _Marc Davis?"_ says Sirius shocked. Marlene nods. "Why?"

"Because I was confused and felt vulnerable and he was easy," she admits. "And before you ask why I didn't tell you, it was because I didn't want to have to relive it in any way, shape, or form." She turns to face Chuck, glaring at him. "Besides, we had already agreed that it was only a one-time thing between us so technically, I did nothing wrong."

"She has a point," says Sirius, although he is unsettled. "You have no right bringing this up then."

"I have every right when you go and jump some guys bones the next night!"

"If you cared so much why'd you say that you didn't want to do it again?" cries Marlene. "You said you didn't want me and I agreed because I thought that's what you wanted!"

"Well, I lied!" shouts Chuck.

No one says anything.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Who wants to go first?" asks Bellatrix. "The young lady or the strange young man? What did you call me?" she asks, approaching Michael. "Demented?"

"I – I meant it in the most _respectful_ way, ma'am," stammers Michael terrified.

"I like it. Unpredictable. Anything can happen! You two could die a dozen different ways!"

"Why do you want to kill us? You just said that I'm the wrong girl and you don't even know him –"

"Be quiet," snarls Bellatrix. "Don't speak unless spoken to."

Nadine gulps. "You know the more people you kill the easier it'll be for you to get caught."

"Me? The demented –" she looks at Michael. "What was it again?"

"Erm – demented denizen of darkness," says Michael, turning around. He had been looking at a fruit bowl on the teacher's desk.

"Right. You know, people always say dying young is very _romantic_. There's no time wasted, no bad choices. Your lives are going to end in full bloom, like perfect roses –"

Michael whips out his wand and catching Bellatrix off guard, knocks her back. The two begin to run for the door and Bellatrix slowly walks after them.

"Run! RUUNNNN!" she cries after them. "Be free from the demented denizen of darkness while you can!"

Her cold laughter escalates and she thinks to herself, _Killing them wouldn't be half as much fun as this is._

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You _lied?"_ says Marlene shocked. "Am I supposed to be a mind-reader? Why the hell would you lie and say you didn't want us to be anything and then be upset about it?"

"Because I thought that's what you wanted me to say!" cries Chuck. "We were thirteen and stupid. What was I supposed to say?"

"You could have started with 'I like you and I don't want this to be a one-night thing.'"

Sirius has not said a word through this whole thing, mostly because he is not sure if he trusts himself to say anything.

Marlene looks at him apologetically. "I'm so sorry Sirius. I shouldn't have kept this from you, you're obviously upset."

"I'm not upset!" says Sirius too quickly. Marlene gives him a look. "I'm mostly _surprised._ How should I take it, honestly?"

Marlene hangs her head and Sirius feels bad for snapping.

"I'm sorry, that didn't come out right," he apologizes. "I'm just surprised, is all." He then turns to Chuck. "Leave."

Chuck does not protest this time and anything but runs out of the room, leaving Sirius and Marlene in a tense silence.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Lily, have you seen Bellatrix tonight, ever?" asks James. "I wouldn't be surprised if Snape is the one who stabbed Marc Davis. He did it to create a smoke screen to convince everybody that Bellatrix is out here in the dark."

"Think Lily, we were in a different corridor when Bellatrix stabbed Davis," reasons Severus.

"Listen, he could have done that before he grabbed you," says James.

"We're wasting time," implores Severus. "I have to think of a way to get you out of this castle and off the grounds."

"I'm not leaving my friends here to die," states Lily.

"Come back with me, Lily," pleads James.

"Let's go," begs Severus. "All we have to do is walk off the grounds and Disapparate you to safety."

"I don't know what else to say, Lily," says James. "You either trust me or you don't."

Lily turns to look at him, conflict evident in her eyes. She then turns back to look at Severus.

"Let's go," he says.

Lily feels like her head is about to explode due to pressure. Slowly but surely, she walks over and stands next to James, showing blatantly where her loyalties lie.

Severus looks at her disappointed then look at James disgusted.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"The pain's going away," says Marc. "Is that a good sign?"

Jason looks at Jessica then back at Marc's chest.

"If it keeps you still, I'll take it." He stands up and lets Karen take over.

"No need to be so tactful ladies," Marc says. "I know I'm in bad shape."

"We're not – being _tactful_," hesitates Miranda. "We are, however, concerned whether we like it or not and a bit evasive."

Miranda switches with Karen and kneels by Marc to apply pressure to the wound.

"Let's put it this way," she says. "If you ever want Evans to hear your side of the story, you'd better live."

Marc looks troubled, like he is fighting an internal battle and Miranda notices this.

"The bleeding has reopened and his systems are shutting down," says Jason. "If we're going to close him up again it's going to need to be right now."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"We have to go after Michael," says Brooke.

"Brooke, it's way too dangerous," replies Alicia, leaning back in her chair. "We're just going to stay here and wait –"

"What if the killer has Nadine?" cries Brooke. "Michael will try but there's no way that he can save her on his own!"

"We wouldn't be much help and the only contribution we're going to make is staying here so nobody has to go looking for us."

Brooke looks at her frustrated and then looks away in fear for Michael.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Come back to the Great Hall with us," says Lily, before she can stop herself.

"You've got nothing to hide, you should have no problem coming back," adds James. Lily glares at him and he backs off for the time being.

"If you run into Bellatrix _don't_ show fear," says Severus, only speaking to Lily. "_Be careful."_ Lily nods and Severus walks in the opposite direction, making Lily wonder how they have gotten to this place.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Frank slowly opens the door to Hagrid's hut. Hagrid is also away but for reasons unknown. It is strange in itself since he is not a Professor so he is definitely not with the others. Perhaps he is doing work for Professor Dumbledore.

He slowly surveys the place before closing the door again.

"Okay," he says. "You should be safe in here," he says to a sopping wet Alice.

"Well that's great for me but what about everybody else?" she asks.

"Listen. If it's really Bellatrix in the castle like I've heard people saying those in the corridors are the people in danger."

"_Bellatrix?_ They have to be wrong! I mean how could she get into the school? It's preposterous!"

"I know," says Frank, "But so far that's the only lead we have."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

There is a knock on the door. The whole room falls silent.

"Who is it?" asks Charlus, approaching the door cautiously.

"James and Lily," says James.

Charlus quickly opens the door and rushes his son and Lily in.

"Don't start yelling," says James.

"I'm not yelling. I'm just wondering why the hell the two of you keep putting your lives in danger," says Charlus baffled.

"I had to find Severus Snape, he's the only one that knows what's going on," explains Lily.

"Well, where is he?" asks Charlus, looking around.

"He's not coming back here because he's the one that stabbed Marc Davis," says James.

"No," counters Lily, jumping to her ex-best friend's defense. "Severus said that Bellatrix's the one that stabbed Marc."

There is a collective gasp around the room.

"Bellatrix -?"

"Bellatrix Lestrange?"

"How'd she get in?"

"Why'd she stab _Marc Davis?"_

"I think that's what everyone's wondering. Why?" asks Charlus.

"Because she's insane!" cries Lily.

"Think about it, Lily. Why would a psycho come out here?" asks James. "Was it for the dancing? The hour d'oeuvres? What?"

Lily sighs and does not respond.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Severus walks down the corridor, his wand at the ready. He enters a classroom and surveys it, checking for anything suspicious.

That is when he sees him and groans.

It is the boy Alice Prewitt had mentioned when they nearly ran into each other. Looking at him closely, he is very handsome.

He kneels down next to the boy and looks at his back where the ice pick had gone through him. Severus looks around once more and lifts the body and begins dragging him.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Erm – why don't we keep turning in the same direction and then _hopefully_ we'll meet up at the main staircase," suggests Nadine. "It has to connect somehow, right?"

"Yes, erm – I'll go first," says Michael. He steps in front of her and begins easing slowly against the wall. Nadine her wand out and ready to fire if necessary.

Michael looks around the corner and…

"Boo!" cries Bellatrix menacingly.

They both scream and run back down the corridor, in opposite directions, only to have Michael turn around again and run after Nadine.

Bellatrix cackles and knows the night is only beginning to heat up.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I want you to promise me that you'll be careful," says Frank earnestly. "Kill as a last resort, which is if Bellatrix comes here. Otherwise, just Stun, please. The less dead bodies the better and less chance you'll end up in Azkaban for murder."

"I'll be fine, I can take care of myself," says Alice.

"I don't doubt it for a second."

"Please don't worry about me," she says, smiling slightly.

"Of course I'm going to worry about you," said Frank. He walks closer to her slowly and cups his hands around her face and kisses her, savoring everything about her. When he pulls away, it is regretfully and only because he knows he cannot hide here when people are in danger.

"Okay, make sure to lock the door behind me," he says. "Lock it with every spell or curse you can think of." Alice nods.

He walks to the door and opens it. Before he leaves, however, he turns around again.

"Just be careful, okay?" he says.

"I'll be fine," she says. "_You_ be careful." He nods and closes the door behind him.

Alice quickly locks the door with a couple of spells and curses and then leans up against it, fear coursing through her veins.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You know, perhaps Bellatrix's real target is Jonathon Davis and she just impaled his son to soften him up," says Charlus.

"Yeah, or she also might just bode down everybody in her path," says Jack. "We need a plan dad."

"We have a plan. The plan is we stay right here. Let Bellatrix go crazy _outside_. We worry about these people," he indicates to those surrounding him. "If we keep us few adults here all night and no one shows up at home, in the morning the Aurors will come looking for us."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Severus re-enters the room where he had found the boy originally and closes the door swiftly after him.

He walks over to the closest to do some more careful observation when the door re-opens. Immediately, he jumps up with his wand ready.

"No, no. Put the wand _down_," orders Sirius. Severus ignores him. "_Now."_

"You first," smirks Severus.

"No, you lower the wand. Now!"

"Sirius!" cries Marlene. She comes in and sees whom he is pointing his wand at. "Why are you threatening to curse each other? As far as I can tell, you're on the same side!"

Sirius and Severus look at each other, neither saying a word and neither lowering their wand. As far as they are concerned, they are on as opposite sides as possible.

"Marlene, just stand outside the door," orders Sirius, "for one sec –"

"I don't want to step in between you two but I will if it's the only way to prove you can trust each other. There's no point in killing tonight when we already have one lunatic in the castle."

"Okay, I'm showing you good faith, I'm going to lower my wand," says Sirius, slowing lowering his wand. "You understand? You need to reciprocate."

"Drop your wand first," says Severus, his wand still pointed directly at Sirius' chest.

"Okay, you know that's not going to happen so you're going to have to trust me now," says Sirius, raising his wand to point at Severus again. "Understand?"

Severus does not respond.

"What is going on here?" Sirius continues. Marlene looks from one to the other.

"I found a dead fifth year in here so I dragged him into the next room," replies Severus. "Bellatrix killed him for kicks."

"Okay, what is Bellatrix doing here? I would have thought Voldemort would have been more likely to infiltrate the school."

"It doesn't matter," says Severus sharply. "By now she's already started killing people for fun. You're her cousin, Black, you know what happens. It's like a game to her and it means that _everyone_ is a target."

"Everyone except her fellow Death Eaters, which is essentially you and your friends, right?" growls Sirius, coming closer to him. "Because, you know, she needs you guys for the dirty work and to cover her tracks. You're basically the only one that can stop her; one of her most respected companions."

"I'm not as respected as you may think," mutters Severus.

"That's all anyone's trying to do here, stop your wacko friend," continues Sirius, "from killing somebody else. So why don't we just – work together."

Severus stares at him for another minute before slowly lowering his wand.

"See how easy that was?" says Sirius. Severus glowers at him. "Now," he says, ramming into Severus and pointing his wand at his neck. "_Now,_ we do it _my_ way."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Where's Michael?" asks Lily, walking over to where Alicia and Brooke are standing.

"He's been gone for over an hour," replies Brooke worriedly.

"Yeah and in case you missed it, the other girl here who has your dress, Nadine, she's missing to," says Alicia coldly. "_Maybe_ she wandered off in a creepy castle in the dark, in the middle of a storm with a _killer_ on the loose or _maybe_ somebody grabbed her by mistake. Somebody who's really here to kill _you_." Alicia smiles coyly.

Lily stares at her for a moment in utter disbelief and then walks away from the two of them.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Miranda cringes and looks away from Marc.

"What's wrong?" he asks, his voice somewhat stronger.

"Nothing, I'm fine. You're the patient here."

"You're evading."

"Okay, I don't like the sight of blood," she says harshly. "Happy?"

"Yeah. Don't worry I plan on living through this," says Marc faintly.

"Good, because I don't think I'd hear the end of it if you die and I was the one who failed to keep you alive. People will jump to the conclusion that I killed you –"

"Why are you so harsh with everyone?" Marc asks suddenly. Miranda is taken aback.

"What do you mean?"

"You're so harsh with Lily and her friends and not that I've been any different but why you?" Miranda is silent.

"I guess because I was jealous of them," she whispers after a while. Aaron has to strain to hear their conversation.

"Why?"

"Because everybody likes them! They're all pretty, smart, and they're best friends with the Marauders, for Merlin's sake! Three of them are in love with Lily, Margaret, _and_ Marlene!"

"So you're jealous of Lily though because Potter loves her and you want him to love you?" Miranda nods. "Well if you want him to care for you in any way why are you so nasty? I would have thought it'd be an obvious fail if you're a jerk to the girl he loves."

"Aren't you the same? You're nasty to James and you claim to care about Lily."

"…We're talking about _you_." Miranda sighs.

"I can't help it, she pushes all of my buttons! Perfect Lily Evans! Every teacher loves her, every boy is in love with her but I'm the only one to see her for who she truly is! A teacher's pet and a manipulative bitch to boot!"

"And you're not?" asks Marc. Miranda stares at him in shock.

"What about you, huh? You screwed your relationship with Lily _years_ ago and then came back for more. What's your deal?"

"I loved Lily and honestly, I don't know why I acted like such an arse. Probably because I was worried about competition and could see how much better her and James would be than us when we were dating. That picture…I guess I hoped that if I created it she would realize what a good 'thing' we would make."

"Perfect Lily Evans, remember? She'd never jump anyone's bones especially at fourteen." Marc nods in agreement.

"I was able to change forms," says Marc, "and I figured that I deserved another chance with Lily so I could get back at her. Well that backfired terribly. Let me tell you, never fall back in love with the mark – no pun intended – because it'll only make revenge near to impossible."

"I know that."

"So why are you friends with Kristina?"

"She likes Sirius and I like James – but I don't even know if I want to go after the guy who loves that slut anymore. Originally I was going to get revenge on Lily and she on Marlene and I even enlisted Severus Snape to help us do so. Now…I think I'm going to call it quits."

"Really?"

Miranda nods. "James is like holding back the wind. There's no getting him and the fight isn't worth it anymore. Besides, I think I'm interested in somebody else."

Marc is silent and so is Miranda. Neither one of them says another word but Aaron, on the other hand, is impressed. He never knew Miranda could have a compassionate bone in her body.

"We have a problem," he says to Jessica who just walked over.

"What?"

"The second we take off those bandages, Marc is going to start hemorrhaging and we still have no way to give him blood.

Jessica sighs and looks from Marc to Aaron to Jason, as if hoping to find a clue of what to do.

Miranda stands up and walks away from Marc, allowing Karen to take her place. Miranda holds her waist in pain. It takes her a lot not to scream out loud.

"You're obviously in pain and it's getting worse," says Aaron.

"It's erm – it's really nothing," says Miranda, closing her eyes and leaning against the wall. "I'm okay, honestly I am. I'll be fine."

"When did the pain start, Miranda?" asks Aaron. Miranda opens her mouth but then just shakes her head. "Oh, come on, if you collapse the Healer's are going to want to know."

"I've survived pneumonia before, I've survived this evening with Marc, I can survive this until the morning when the teachers and Madam Pomfrey return."

Aaron rolls his eyes. "Oh, come on. You have Healers-in-training right here!"

"No," says Miranda quickly. "No, I don't need them. I want them to focus on Marc."

The door opens and Marc's father re-enters. He walks over to where Jason and Jessica are standing.

"Funny, I thought he was going to save his arse and leave," mutters Miranda.

"How's Marc doing?" he asks.

"Well, it's fairly simple," says Jason. "You're son is going to bleed to death unless we get a blood transplant."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Look, I'm not so sure if you understand what's really going on here," says James.

"Then enlighten me," says Charlus.

"Bellatrix isn't running around in the dark. The only killer in this castle is Severus Snape. Honestly, when have you known Bellatrix to go around stabbing people when she can torture them with the Cruciatus Curse."

"Look, Lily's been hanging out with Snape, I think you're pointing the finger at him because you're – a little jealous?"

"Oh, _come on_," says James. "Lily's the smartest girl I know so I have no idea why she's buying into these packs of lies. She should be able to see the truth. If we get Snape, this is over, this is done and we can do that if we work together."

"Well how do you plan on doing that? Killing him? Do you really want me to have to cart my own son off to Azkaban?"

"No."

"What are you going to do? Use your jitsu? Do you want to be skewed like Marc Davis?"

"No, I don't," says James, shaking his head.

"Well, do you want to take an axe off the wall and jump in a suit of armour?"

"Why did I even think you'd support me on this?"

"I just don't want you to get into a fight that you can't win. We both know Severus Snape has dodgy friends and whom he supports. There's no way you can come out of this alive even if you manage to overpower Snape."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily looks to see if the coast is clear before running out of the Great Hall again. Even she is aware that she is becoming reckless but at this point she is far past caring. She needs to protect those she loves.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Both Nadine and Michael have their wands in their hands, prepared to Stun, or even kill, if they have to. They both begin walking down the corridor, looking around paranoid.

"Wait," says Michael. He peeks around the corner and pivots with his wand pointed out.

The coast is clear.

They continue down the next corridor, looking behind them in case Bellatrix tries to attack them from the rear.

Suddenly Nadine pivots to her left with her wand but a pair of arms catches hers before she can curse them.

"Take it easy," says Frank.

"Frank, it is indeed a pleasure to see you," says Michael relieved.

Frank looks at the both of them and does not say anything.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Where's Lily?" asks James.

"I don't know, she was here a second ago," says Brooke, looking around.

"She probably went after Snape," says Alicia, standing up. "She obviously doesn't mean it when she says that she hates the bloke and is drawn to psychos." James rolls his eyes but scans the room nervously. He cannot see the familiar fiery, red hair.

"This concludes my suspicions," says Charlus to the room at whole. "Bellatrix is obviously doing a little 'castle-cleaning' tonight. She obviously had a beef with a Ministry worker's son so she did him in and Jonathon Davis was here earlier, he's gone, she probably got him too. Looks like a grudge match. So, if we just _stay here_ and don't witness anything that's none of our business, it'll all pass over by morning."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Marc twitches slightly in his slumber and Mr. Davis moves out of the line of view, as if afraid that when he wakes up he will be seen as concerned.

"Maybe I should suggest that Jessica sit with him so when he wakes up he'll see a friendlier face," says Miranda to herself.

"He's going to want to see you, Miranda," says Aaron.

Miranda sighs. "Oh, I don't know about that."

"Anyone with two eyes and half a brain can see that he's interested in you," adds Aaron. "For Merlin's sake, you guys are hiding from each other like a couple five-year-olds who shared a kiss in the sandbox. Just go over there."

Miranda makes a face at the analogy. "If you insist."

She walks over to him, her hand still on her waist.

"Where the hell are we going to get him a blood transfusion?" asks Mr. Davis.

"I don't know, you tell me. Do you know anyone with the same blood type as Marc?" asks Jason.

Mr. Davis looks over at his son and sees Karen and Miranda kneeling next to him. He sighs.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice is sitting in the hut, looking around and taking all of her surroundings in. She has always loved the smell of Hagrid's hut from the time she came in there as an eleven-year-old.

She jumps when she hears a creak outside and what sounds like pounding. She picks up her wand and moves to the door slowly. She points her wand at the door, ready if an attacker were to swoop in.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Michael runs towards Frank with his lit wand pointed in Frank's face. Frank pushes it away.

"Sorry, the uber demented denizen of darkness Bella–"

"Shh!" implores Frank.

"Bellatrix," hisses Michael, "is pursuing us."

"Have you actually _seen_ her?" asks Frank.

"Yes. She dragged fair Nadine from the festivities!"

"She thought I was Lily. She tried to kill me and she's probably _right_ behind us." Michael jumps and looks around nervously.

"Okay good, stay close," says Frank. He tries to move past Michael but Michael grabs his shirt by the front.

"Wait. Wait! What if the uber demented one realizes that we're not alone anymore."

"I doubt she'll realize it. She probably got bored chasing after you two and found another target!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Lily speed-walks through the main entry hall and is about to go up the marble staircase when she stops short.

"Sirius, what are you doing?" she asks shocked. He is leading Severus down the stairs, pointing his wand at his back.

"Get out of the way," says Sirius. "Get out of the way!" Lily backs up slightly. "I've got something I have to take care of."

Marlene trails after him and both girls gasp as Sirius kicks Severus in the lower back, right above his backside, causing him to fall down.

"STOP!" yells Lily. Marlene holds her back.

"Everybody needs to calm down!" cries Marlene.

"I'm going to try speaking to Bellatrix in a language she'll understand," says Sirius.

"Stop trying to be a damn hero!" shrieks Lily.

He ignores her. "BELLATRIX!" he screams over the thunder. "YOU BETTER SHOW YOUR FACE IN TEN SECONDS OR I'M GONNA BLOW YOUR COMPANIONS BRAINS ALL OVER THE FLOOR!"

Severus is relatively calm for someone who has just been threatened.

Lily and Marlene stare at Sirius in shock but know how livid he must be to be related to Bellatrix right now.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Kristina walks out of the Great Hall, tired of hearing the same things over and over again and walks out the main entry doors. She runs down the hill and stomps on several twigs outside of Hagrid's cabin.

She then runs into the forest for cover and is amazed that no rain touches her here. She begins walking slowly, deeper into the forest when she sees a bat and freaks out.

She trips over a twig and falls, banging her head on a rock as she goes down.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"What happened?" asks a female's voice, putting a blanket over her shoulders.

"I don't know," says Kristina, holding her forehead some time later. "I – I think I saw a bat and then – then I fell."

"I think you hit your head."

"Yeah, I think you're right," says Kristina, smiling slightly. "Thank you. Thank you for helping me." She looks up at the woman.

"What are you doing out here in the middle of the storm, alone?" asks Bellatrix.

Kristina does not answer her but knows that the face full of makeup looks familiar, she just cannot place a name to the face.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	42. Black and White Ball Part 6

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Recap:** Lily chooses whose side she is on, Frank brings Alice to Hagrid's hut where she will be safe, Bellatrix begins having more and more fun with torturing people, Marc needs a blood transfusion, Sirius and Severus go head-to-head, Miranda's pain increases and her and Marc get closer, Kristina ends up in the forest with Bellatrix.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 42 – Black and White Ball Part 6

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 11 PM – 6 hours earlier**_

_CRASH!_

_Marlene: We all have limits…lines we know we won't cross…until we do._

"Bella!" calls Sirius. "Show yourself or your companion's dead!"

"Sirius, stop! You can't do this!" cries Lily, trying to escape Marlene's grip. She does not want Severus to die!

"Okay, you know what? You're master's best servant's blood is on your hands!" He points his wand closer to Severus.

"If you kill me, Bellatrix, if not the Dark Lord, will slaughter you and everyone else in this castle," speaks Severus calmly.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Follow me," says Frank.

"Wait, wait!" cries Michael. "Frank, your theory may be correct. Maybe the uber demented one stopped toying with me and fair Nadine and has gone searching for another target –"

"I'm going to deal with Bellatrix once I get you two _out of here_," says Frank. "The sooner I get the two of you out of here, the sooner I can deal with Bellatrix. You got that?"

"I refuse to cower in safety while others are at risk!" argues Michael.

"Plus, who said you're going to take the role of hero?" asks Nadine. "You should be back in the Great Hall with everybody else!"

Frank looks at her and Michael exasperated.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Closing him up will be the easy part," explains Jason, walking over to where Mr. Davis is sitting. "Marc won't survive though without the blood transfusion."

"Dad?" says Marc weakly. Jonathon stands up and walks over to him. "Did you come to watch me die?"

Mr. Davis does not say anything.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"What are you doing here?" asks Kristina.

"Someone in the castle is killing people and I thought it would be safer to leave," replies Bellatrix. "I was looking for a place to wait out the storm." She looks at her in interest. "Erm – would you like to get out of the dirt?" she asks. She stands up from her crouched position and offers her a hand.

"Thank you," says Kristina, accepting the hand.

They both get up and then sit down on a rock tiredly.

"Do you garden?" asks Bellatrix suddenly.

Kristina looks at her surprised, not sure where this is going (**A/N: I know this is strange but bear with me**).

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Severus is the only person who can stop Bellatrix and essentially Voldemort!" cries Lily, trying to escape Marlene's grasp but Marlene is not giving in.

"Snape couldn't get you out in the open so I'm doing it for him!" shouts Sirius to no one. "Come get your companion's body!"

"When I'm dead get these two out of here," says Severus, "before Bellatrix takes revenge on everybody."

"No! Please, no!" begs Lily and Lily Evans never begs. "No, don't!"

"Okay Sirius, that is _enough_," says Marlene, struggling to hold back Lily. "You're not going to do this!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"They say that the gardens on these grounds are remarkable," continues Bellatrix coldly. "I hope I have a chance to see them before the evening's over."

Kristina does not say anything.

"This isn't that bad," says Bellatrix as a clap of thunder sounded.

"Except there's a castle full of people whose lives are at stake," says Kristina. "They have no idea where the danger's coming from."

"The storm." They both look out at the opening of the forest.

"I've never seen it this bad and it's supposed to get worse," says Kristina.

"We work, we plan, and we do everything right and in one night it can all be destroyed! Man plans, God laughs," says Bellatrix, looking up at the sky.

Kristina looks at her uncertainly.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Listen, I can handle this better alone if I don't have to worry about you two," implores Frank.

"Okay, but not at the risk of alienating you, as I consider us friends. I will not wimp out!"

"And what about Nadine? Isn't she your date? It is your _obligation_ to keep her safe."

"Bellatrix snatched me right out of the _Great Hall_, she's crazy," says Nadine. "We have to stop her."

"I will."

"Alright. Though we may lack _your_ expertise in this particular –" begins Michael but Nadine cuts him off.

"It's obvious that you would be able to hold your own better in this situation than us but you're just one person. What's the problem with accepting a little help?" she reasons.

Frank says nothing.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice moves closer to the door of Hagrid's hut and ducks behind his bed, her wand ready, bracing herself for an attack.

Nothing happens.

She gets up again and moves closer to the door and unlocks it. She pulls back and runs out with her wand ready, fear in her eyes and stands in front of the doorway ready.

Nothing comes.

She looks up and sees a twig banging against the hut wall and sighs in relief, feeling like an eejit.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You are not dying," says Mr. Davis coldly.

Marc stares at him. "Is that an order?" (**A/N: I love this line so much**)

"I'm going to need to start patching you up," says Jason. "You're going to need that blood transfusion. Do you know what your blood type is?"

"A negative," replies Marc.

"Could you be his donor?" asks Jessica, stepping closer to Mr. Davis.

"Unfortunately I am B."

"We need an A negative or an O; which is a universal donor. Anybody here O?" Jason asks the room as a whole.

Everybody shakes his or her head no.

"All right," says Mr. Davis, "Then I will _find_ a donor."

Marc looks at his father. "I'm holding my breath."

"I'm not going to let you _die_ on me as your last act of defiance, so get that out of your stubborn head." (**A/N: I love this line too**)

He walks to the portrait hole and stops.

"I'm going to go down to the Great Hall and I will find _someone_ down there with the right blood type. Oh, and Marc –" He walks back over and leans down so no one else can hear him and whispers, "Fight 'em, Marc, fight 'em."

He stands back up again, ignoring the troubled look on Marc's face, and walks out of the room.

"Okay, let's get him prepped," sighs Jason after he leaves.

Miranda makes a face and grunts in pain as she holds his towel.

"Miranda," says Aaron, "you are not okay."

"I'm all right, I can wait. Marc can't."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Bellatrix looks out at the rain from the opening of the forest then returns to where Kristina is sitting.

"Well this is terrible," she says. "This storm is going to be hell on those roses."

"It's not going to be a lot of fun for the people stuck in the castle either."

"People make their own choices, they deserve what they get. Roses need to be nurtured and cared for. The storm isn't fair to them."

"You grow roses?" asks Kristina uncertainly.

"No but I enjoy looking at them and watching them grow. Red ones are my favorite, blood red to be exact. I enjoy the colour of blood."

Kristina stares at her. Bellatrix looks back at her.

"You hate roses?"

"No. I think they're beautiful," says Kristina, thinking fast. "What's your favorite kind?"

"When I was young my sister and I created a hybrid one just for our mum. Roses Marie, we called it – that was our mum's name. Just a magnificent, deep, red rose but fragile." She turns to look at her again. "Maybe I'm boring you."

"No, no. My mother, she loved roses. She'd make them herself and make beautiful arrangements." This catches Bellatrix's attention now.

"You're mother is dead?" Kristina nods. "May I ask how?"

"Murdered by a woman named Bellatrix Lestrange."

Bellatrix's face contorts and she stands up, pacing the floor now.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sirius finally lowers his wand and rubs his face with the palm of his hand. Lily runs over to Severus and helps him up.

"Whatever my cousin's reasons for coming here…she's just killing people now!"

"You need me as bait," says Severus. "That's why you didn't kill me."

"No, Sirius would _never_ kill you…or anyone for that matter," argues Marlene, looking at Sirius.

"She's right, you wouldn't have killed him, would you?" asks Lily frantically.

"Of course he would have," snorts Severus, and Lily looks at him. "It's exactly what the Dark Lord or Bellatrix would have done."

Sirius' eyes flash at being compared to those two particular people but does not say anything. The only sign that he is angry is that he grips he wand harder.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Brandon, I need you to help me find Lily," says James. He recently became aware again that she is missing and he is about to pull his hair out. Why can she not just _sit still?_ He has amended that _when_ she comes back that she is sticking by his side.

Alicia and Brooke looks at him like he is crazy.

"James, you're insane. With Bellatrix and Merlin knows who else loose it's only going to make things worse if the two of us go blundering around in the dark."

"Lily knew what she was doing. Let her find her own way back," says Alicia. "Assuming she _wants_ to."

"Alicia," warns Brandon.

"I'm just –"

"Don't."

"Brandon, why are we all acting like Lily's in some terrible danger? She left on her own to find her ex-best friend…or so she claims."

There is a knock on the door.

"Get the door!" yells Mulciber.

"You get the door," snarls James, walking to the door anyway. "Who is it?" he barks.

"Sirius!"

"Isn't there a more efficient way of locking it? It's no wonder Bellatrix could get in. Any Wizard could!" says Alicia.

"Not if they don't think about it," mutters James. He unlocks the door and stares at Sirius. "Mr. Padfoot. Nice of you to rejoin us."

"There's a situation with Bellatrix, we need to talk –" begins Sirius. James gets the hint and steps outside and closes the door after him but not before Charlus can join them.

"Oh, there you are!" says James, noticing Lily. "I've been worried – Why are you with _him?"_ he growls, noticing Severus.

Lily sighs exasperatedly and Charlus' eyes wander over to Severus.

"Oh, so this is the Severus you were looking for," says Charlus. "Looks like you've found him. Now do an old man a favour and get in there and _stay_ there."

"Charlus is right," says Sirius. He turns to Charlus. "Can you bring Lily, Snape, and Marlene inside and keep an eye on them? _Particularly_ Lily since she seems to be making a habit of sneaking out under our noses." Lily glares at him. "I need to talk to James privately." Charlus nods and ushers them inside then closes the doors behind them again.

"Sirius, I need details," says James.

"Bellatrix is definitely on the grounds and she's going to kill _anybody_ that crosses her path. She's bloody mental. Okay, I tried to draw her out –"

"Are _you_ bloody mental?" cries James. "No offense mate, but you could never defeat Bellatrix! Voldemort probably taught her all these curses to use! She's also not afraid to use Unforgivables!"

"Thanks. Anyway, I tried to draw her out using Snivellus since he's one of the Dark Lord's most prized servants and Bella would never let anything happen to him. She didn't take the bait."

"Well I have a feeling she's not alone. She's got others out there but I'm not sure how many. Did you and Bellatrix decide to do a little 'castle-cleaning'?"

"No. No one knew she was coming but I'm going to end this…tonight," says Sirius.

"Like I said, you're no match for Bellatrix. She'll destroy you whether you want to believe it or not. Don't play hero and get yourself killed, you're my best mate!"

"I won't die tonight, don't worry," says Sirius. "I won't give my dear cousin the satisfaction."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice is sitting down on Hagrid's bed, almost waiting for another sign of human life going on. She jumps at the sound of what appears like knocking on the door.

She stands up, her wand ready to Stun or kill; if necessary.

"Alice, let us in!" calls Frank.

She immediately lowers her wand and rushes to the door to open it for him.

"Frank," she whispers. She opens the door and in walks a sopping wet Nadine, Michael, and Frank.

"Erm – greetings quiet one," says Michael. "Are you well?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," says Alice, closing the door after Frank.

"Michael and Nadine are staying here with you," explains Frank.

"L-Look I defer to your wishes and I totally agree that the quiet one and fair Nadine should wait in this place of sanctuary but may I remind you one last time that I could be of assistance! Just to watch your back!"

"You're all staying in here, that way I know you're safe," says Frank.

"I'm _sorry_, but I still don't see who put you in charge," snaps Nadine, fed up.

Frank looks from her to Michael, whom is also looking at Nadine in surprise.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"How's he doing?" asks Remus, entering the common room with Margaret.

"At this point we're going to, in a sense, operate on him like Muggles do," says Jason. "I learned how to do so in Muggle Studies and so did Jessica so she'll be assisting me. We don't have a choice."

"He needs a blood transfusion," says Jessica, turning around.

"Would you happen to know if either of you are A negative or O?" asks Aaron.

Remus shakes his head. "No, neither one of us are, right?" Margaret nods.

"I'm AB," she replies.

"Forgive my logic," says Miranda. "But if we don't have a donor handy, he's already bleeding. Isn't operating going to make him bleed more?"

"Well, initially yes," says Jessica.

"Well maybe we should leave him 'well enough' alone!"

"We have to fix the wound or else he's going to die," says Karen.

"Karen's right," says Jessica. "Surgery is our best option."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"What exactly are we dealing with?" asks James.

"Bella is _insane_," says Sirius.

"I could have told you that!"

"Bellatrix's not acting normal though and I think she's doing it on purpose. I mean, running Marc Davis through with a sword? Why not just kill him quick and easy or use her infamous Cruciatus Curse? Plus, we have one of her helpers saying that she's now killing for fun! One of her most devoted helpers as far as we can see!"

"Well so far she's only going after one person at a time," murmurs James. "Like I said, she's got helper's on the grounds out there."

"Okay, what you said before, I think that'll keep everyone in one room and that's best."

James nods. "Yeah, well I'm dealing with an element in here who wants to form a conga line all the way down to Hogsmeade and head off to the Ministry." (**Also a favorite line**)

"You're never going to be able to get over a thousand people to the Ministry. Five sevenths of them are underage and can't Disapparate from here."

"That's exactly how I feel about it."

"Okay, well –" He stops for a second when he sees Marlene coming out. "Okay, I'll tell you what. You handle the people in there. Keep them calm and I'll handle Bellatrix."

"Got it," says James, patting Sirius' shoulder and heading back in. Marlene walks up to him.

"Sirius, no! It's too risky!" hisses Marlene.

"I have to try," says Sirius. "You know I'm not one for sitting down and letting other people fight!"

"You didn't start this!" cries Marlene. "It's not on you to finish it!"

"I have a personal investment, remember? Bellatrix is my cousin and you're my girlfriend and the love of my life. I'm not going to let her put you in danger and –"

"Don't you _dare_ flirt with me."

Sirius is taken aback. "I'm not – I'm not flirting with you. I'm just telling you that I have to do this. I'm not going to let my cousin hurt you or anyone else I care about."

"Sirius," pleads Marlene.

"I know you saw stuff tonight that I wish you hadn't seen but –"

"Okay, Sirius," interrupts Marlene. "I know you, alright? You're not meant for sitting back and watching, I know that. You're not meant to die either. Please, if you're going to continue searching for him at_ least_ be careful and not suicidal."

Sirius looks her in the eyes and nods.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Hello?" calls Dorea. She has decided on coming to help her husband, finding it too worrisome to wait at home. "Hello? Is anybody here?"

She continues to walk down the stairs, having flown to the top of the Astronomy Tower.

"Where _is_ everyone?" she wonders aloud. She continues walking down the steps but does not notice the lurking shadow behind her.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Dad," calls James. Charlus turns around and James indicates for him to come over. "Sirius tells me that – erm – Bellatrix _is_ a nutcase and that she's probably out there now, bumping off whoever she bumps into."

"Well at least we're getting somewhere," says Charlus. "I'm going to go back there and try and calm down those fourth years, they're getting antsy." He walks back over to where he was standing, leaving James very much alone. He decides to pay a visit to Severus.

"I take it Sirius hasn't actually _seen_ Bellatrix tonight either, has he?" says James.

"Are you still stuck on this idea that I'm the killer?" smirks Severus, turning around to face him.

"I'm just saying your never seen companion makes a very convenient scapegoat."

"Believe what you want."

There is a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" calls James.

"Jonathon Davis!"

James opens the door for him and welcomes him in like a doorman. He strides in without a second glance at James and looks around.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he says. "Jason Jackson is going to have to operate like a Muggle on my son. Marc needs an emergency blood transfusion. Do any of you have the blood type of A negative or O?"

"Looks like you're out of luck, none of us match," says James. "But as long as you're here, tell us; have you run into Bellatrix?" Mr. Davis does not respond. "You know, better yet, don't waste our time. Why don't you just get your _arse_ back out there and let her eviscerate you so we can put an end to this nightmare!"

Charlus looks like he wants to yell at his son for speaking to someone, let alone a Ministry employer, like that.

"Mr. Potter," says Mr. Davis, pointing his finger at James and looks around. "You know, right now you are a _waste_ of my time but right now, you see I've got to find a blood donor for my son." He walks out of the door, opened for him by Charlus. Before he can close the door again he hears a bloodcurdling scream that shocks the whole Great Hall into silence.

"Dorea?" he says aloud. He runs out the door with his four sons in toll.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sirius looks around the corner, his wand ready to shoot any curse he can think of at any given time. He inches slowly down the corridor and around another bend.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Bellatrix looks at Kristina. "Bellatrix Lestrange killed your mother?"

Kristina stares at her and then nods.

"Well, she obviously did something to deserve to die." Kristina eyes the wand in Bellatrix's hand and does not respond. "She must have done something to upset her –"

"Nobody deserves to die," replies Kristina shakily. "She was a great woman and put everyone before herself."

"Those who question the Dark Lord _always_ deserve to die," says Bellatrix threateningly. She sneers. "Your mother _must_ have gotten what she deserved." Kristina is silent again.

Bellatrix looks at the blanket that she gave Kristina and then pulls it off roughly, catching Kristina by surprise. Bellatrix waves her wand and makes it small enough to place in her pocket.

"Best of luck getting back through this storm," sneers Bellatrix. She sweeps out of the forest, leaving Kristina shell-shocked because she knows who she had been talking with now.

She had just held a conversation with Bellatrix Lestrange.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Put that down!" shrieks Dorea. Charlus runs up to her, followed by Jacob, Jack, James, and finally Jarred; who has been relatively quiet throughout the night.

"What happened?" cries Charlus.

"I – I didn't want to wait home alone because I was too worried about you so I flew to the Astronomy Tower. I walked down these steps and that's when _he_ tried to kill me!" She points up at Filch.

"I'm afraid I startled Mrs. Potter. She took a terrible fall," says Filch.

"How badly are you hurt?" asks Charlus.

"It's my back," she says, looking back at Filch. "You scared the hell out of me! What are you even doing here tonight while every other adults is gone?"

"I've been in my office the whole time since I'm not a Professor," snarls Filch. "I only came out to clean the floors because these damn people have been trekking through the halls with mud on their feet."

"Mrs. Potter, I do apologize," continues Filch, although he does not sound incredibly apologetic.

Dorea looks like she wants to say more when Charlus cups her cheeks in his hands and pulls her in for a kiss. Their sons make gagging noises. After a minute she pulls back.

"Oh, grow up you four," she says to them. She then turns to Charlus in surprise. "What was that for?"

"Because you're alive," he says. "And I'm going to keep you that way." He kisses her again, this time longer and without her hesitation. The other four this time do not say anything but smile slightly at the sight of their parents, so obviously in love.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"In point of fact, fair Nadine, out of all of us Frank _is_ –" begins Michael.

"Okay, you can explain later," says Frank. "I have to get back to the castle and I want you to stay with Nadine and Alice."

"Okay, I will guard the door," says Michael, although he looks like he wants to continue arguing.

"Be careful," says Alice to Frank.

"I will." He opens the door and walks out, closing it behind him and Alice locks it.

"Frank is too kind to state the obvious," mutters Michael. "I am a useless _wimp."_

"_Michael_," says Nadine, turning around. "In case you missed it, you saved my life."

Michael says nothing, mostly because he does not know what to say.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Miranda winces as she sits down in a chair, away from where they are going to open Marc up.

"I'm going to head back, are you going to stay and help?" Remus asks Margaret. She nods.

"I'm also training to be a Healer, it's the least I can do. Be careful Remus." She kisses him on the cheek and he smiles lopsidedly down at her.

"I will. Does anyone else want to go back to the Great Hall with me?" he asks. Everyone else shakes his or her head.

"No, we're going to stay here and be Marc's moral support," says Miranda, trying to shift positions and having to bite her tongue so she does not cry out in pain.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" asks Remus, walking over to her.

"Yeah, I'm all right, it's just the stress," replies Miranda coolly.

"I know you hate me and I don't care much for you either but you can tell me if you're in pain." She does not respond. "Are you _sure_ you're okay and you don't want me to bring you back?"

"Yes." Remus looks uncertain and walks out of the room again, closing the door behind him.

"All right, we've kept him waiting long enough. We need to prep," says Jason. Margaret nods and stands up and makes some alcohol come out of her wand to sterilize everyone's hands.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

There is a knock on the door.

James, having decided to stay in the Great Hall with Lily, walks to the door and before he can ask who it is:

"LET ME IN! IT'S KRISTINA!" she shrieks, pounding on the door. He quickly unlocks it and lets her in. She strides in quickly. "In case you were wondering who stabbed Marc Davis," she says to the room, "I just spent half an hour in a cave with Bellatrix Lestrange."

Everyone gasps.

"Are you okay?" asks Brooke.

"Well the woman – if you can call her that – is a psycho. I thought I was going to die. So no, I'm not really okay." She looks around the room. "Where's Jacob?"

"I think he said something about looking for Bellatrix and went with Brandon," says Brooke. "Brandon came back though fifteen minutes ago…"

"Is he _mental?_ What is it with all the goddamn heroes running around this school? Did anyone go to see if he was okay?"

"No, we were told to stay here for our own protection," says Marlene coolly.

"And you guys are _okay_ with that?" asks Kristina incredulously. "No one thought that perhaps he was in trouble?"

"I managed to make it back on my own, thank you for your concern," says Jacob, smiling slightly.

Kristina jumps up and hugs him and he hugs her back, albeit surprised.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You are kind to try consoling me, fair one, but the truth his plain for all to see. Frank and the Marauders are the embodiment of all things manly and I – toil feebly at –"

"_But you saved me from _Bellatrix," insists Nadine. "I'd be dead now if it weren't for you."

"See, we ran away. Any other guy, he would have actually tried to dispatch the uber, evil doer."

"Just because you don't race around, waving your wand at enemies and doing everything yourself doesn't mean you're a _wimp_. It means you're smart."

"Is – the quiet one not going to advise fair Nadine that while she might have the best intentions in her less than flattering assessment of Frank and the Marauders, she is astonishingly incorrect?" Michael asks Alice.

Alice looks at both of them. "She has a point. Frank will do anything to help the people he cares about but he's awful at accepting help."

"B-But –" falters Michael. "That's because he doesn't _need_ help! That guy's a tower of strength!"

There is a knock on the door.

Alice stands up immediately and points her wand at the door. The others follow suit but Michael goes in front of her.

"Remain silent as I investigate," he says. He looks out the crack.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I thought I was just standing there talking to some student and then she started going on and on about roses and preaching about You-Know-Who," rambles Kristina to Jacob. "Then I recognized his face and realized I was talking to Bellatrix Lestrange!"

"Did she threaten you?" asks Jacob, walking her over to a seat.

"Sort of but I think I either gave her the right answers or kept silent and that was fine with her."

"See James? Kristina has seen, spoken to, and was almost killed by Bellatrix tonight," says Alicia. "That means Snape was right."

"Will you lay off?" Lily snaps before he can. James puts a hand on her shoulder as the door opens and Remus walks in.

"Have you seen Sirius?" Marlene asks him.

"Where'd Sirius go?" asks Kristina. That girl cannot stick with one bloke.

Marlene glares at her. "He went to confront Bellatrix."

"_Alone?_ Who thought _that_ was a good idea?"

"I haven't seen Sirius," replies Remus. "But Margaret, Jason, Jessica, Aaron, and Karen are about to operate 'Muggle style' on Marc. Miranda, she's up there as well."

"How's Marc?" asks Marlene curiously.

"Under the circumstances, he's doing the best he can."

Everyone breaks apart and Kristina walks in the opposite direction, rubbing her tired eyes.

"I have to try and get Marc out of here and to St. Mungos," says Jacob.

Kristina turns around. "No you're not!" she cries. "You'll never make it in this rain, let alone get off the grounds with Bellatrix's helpers all around."

"I'm Marc's only chance."

"I don't care! You're not risking your life for that _freak!"_

"We don't have time to fight about this. You know I have to do this, I know how to get the carriages here. Hagrid showed me once."

"Why do you have to be so unselfish? Why can't you be more like me instead of good, noble, and forgiving?"

Jacob laughs. "I thought those were my best qualities."

"They are but not when it might mean that I'll never see you again!"

"We only met tonight."

"I know, but I feel like I've know you for a while," says Kristina lamely.

"Well don't worry, I have every intention on coming back," smiles Jacob. "Okay?"

"You better come back or I'll be _so mad_ at you," says Kristina, poking his chest.

"Well, we wouldn't want that," he says. She hugs him and he hugs her in return, wondering how in the world they have gotten so close in only a few hours. He supposes though that being in danger can do that to people. The more people becoming closer because of this war though, the better.

"Be careful," begs Kristina.

"I will."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

They lay Dorea down on Lily's old bed in the Gryffindor girls' dormitory.

"Can you _please_ be gentle and not treat me like a sack of potatoes?" implores Dorea.

"You're complaining, that's always a good sign," jokes Charlus.

"I'm in agony, there's nothing good about it," mutters Dorea. "Can't you fix me yourself?"

"I'm afraid I'm not trained as a Healer, dear," smiles Charlus.

"All right mum, just take it easy," says Jack. Him and Jacob are still with their parents but James and Jarred have returned to the Great Hall.

"That's easier said than done. What are you _doing?"_ she asks Charlus.

"Just pretend these are hands of a Healer," teases Charlus, elevating her legs.

"If you guys are okay here, I'm going to check on the people in the Great Hall," says Jacob. He walks out, leaving only the three of them.

"That's a good idea. Those people would be better off with him watching over than the Slytherins," says Charlus.

"I'll be back too," says Jack. He walks out of the room after his brother.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Severus has left the Great Hall and is now entering a classroom with his wand in front of him, ready to fire. He turns around and nearly has a heart attack.

"Don't attack," warns Lily quickly.

"Do you _want_ to get yourself killed?" he asks.

"I want to stop the killing!" she says, moving forward.

"You can't, Lily. Merlin, you amaze me sometimes. How'd you even manage to get past Potter?"

"It's called sneaking out when his back is turned," she mutters. "And maybe you're right, maybe Bellatrix _is_ killing people for fun, but in the beginning she was after _me!"_ cries Lily. "Maybe we can get her to come after me again."

Severus looks at her and shakes his head then looks away, then back at her again with an incredulous look on his face.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Well, how long ago did Sirius leave?" asks Kristina.

"I couldn't really say," says Marlene.

"Could you say if he looked murderous?"

"Sirius _said,_ that he was going after Bellatrix. I didn't ask him how and I don't really want to know."

"Okay, you stay here and you _hope_ that Sirius comes back like a good little girlfriend," jeers Kristina.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go help Sirius because _someone_ has to!"

She walks away, leaving Marlene clutching her wand in disbelief.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sirius walks into some room, preparing himself to either kill or be killed. He cannot just wait in the Great Hall when other people are risking their lives to find Bellatrix.

"Mr. Black!" yells somebody. Sirius turns his wand on them.

"Who are you?" asks Sirius.

"Jonathon Davis, Marc's father," pants the older man.

Now that he knows this, Sirius is able to see the resemblance between this man and Marc. This, however, does not make Sirius lower his wand even by a fraction.

"What do you want?"

"Marc needs a blood transfusion. Is your blood type A negative or O?" asks Mr. Davis.

Sirius' eyes turn stormy and he does not respond.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Bellatrix didn't get to be one of the Dark Lord's most prized servants by being stupid," says Severus. "She'll know that you're trying to trap her and she'll kill you just to prove she can. Is that what you want? To die?"

Lily gapes at him. "I want to stop your sicko friend!"

"Lily, I care about you but stay out of my way," he orders.

"This is the wrong place and the wrong time to be having this argument," says Frank, coming inside. "You guys didn't even see me coming."

"Probably because everyone thinks you're still in the Great Hall. What are you doing here?" hisses Lily.

"It doesn't matter," interrupts Severus. "Longbottom, get Lily out of here and I'll go looking for Bellatrix."

"Bellatrix has killed at least one person tonight," says Frank. "It's too late to save her."

"I'm not going to save her," says Severus. "I'm going to kill her." Frank and Lily stare at him incredulously.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Okay, a person, most probably male, is laying out there in the raging storm," says Michael. "He's all clad in black, face down."

"Could it be Frank?" asks Alice urgently.

"I – I cannot ascertain the identity of the fallen," says Michael terrified.

"Maybe it's a trap," says Nadine logically.

"N – No, I have to go –" begins Alice.

"No, the quiet one must not venture out, it's too dangerous," argues Michael. "I will go."

"No, but if it's Frank and he's hurt I need to help him," says Alice, trying to get past him.

"Frank entrusted me with your protection –!"

"Let's all go together!" amends Nadine over the two of them.

"Against my better judgment, I will acquiesce," agrees Michael. "Erm –" he looks out the crack and holds up one finger. "On my count," he says. "On three, okay?" He looks through the crack.

He holds up one finger…

Two fingers…

Three. He pulls open the door and they all run out.

"We are armed!" yells Michael, at the body on the ground. "Remain supine, evildoer!"

There is no response.

"Evildoer?" he asks hesitantly, walking closer to the body. He uses his foot to push him onto his back.

"Is he dead?" asks Nadine, closing in. She feels his pulse. "He barely has a pulse, we have to get him inside."

"But he's a minion of _darkness_," cries Michael.

"He's also a human. Michael help, we can't do this by ourselves," says Alice, getting on the other side of the body. She does not recognize the face of the man.

Michael grabs one arm, looking away as if he is afraid of being infected by the man.

"Michael!" cries Alice shocked.

"Oh, alright." He begins to help them drag the body inside.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"How many classrooms, including common rooms, would you venture to guess are in this castle?" Brooke asks James.

"Oh, Merlin knows, I'd venture to guess hundreds, maybe thousands, which means there are too many places for Bellatrix to hide."

"In point of fact, there are 1,010 (**A/N: This is just a guess**). There are ten stories in the whole castle and –" begins a Ravenclaw sixth year. There is a clap of thunder, which scares them all.

Brooke walks slowly away from the two boys and walks around.

"Where's Alicia?" she asks worriedly.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"And then after Marc Davis got shish-ka-bobbed we found out that Bellatrix Lestrange is out there on the loose. That's why Filch was armed with a sword probably."

"All Filch had to do is ask who was there," mutters Dorea. "I could have identified myself and avoided a very _painful_ fall."

"Don't worry love, I'm going to nurse you back to health," teases Charlus.

Dorea smiles. "Why am I scared?"

"Don't be scared and don't look a gift horse…etc, etc." Dorea winces as she props herself up.

"Charlus, if you want to go chasing after Bellatrix Lestrange, please, be my guest, just be careful and lock the door after you."

"I don't need to be careful because there's no way I'm going to leave you here to be the next victim," says Charlus simply.

The door opens and Jack walks back in with two bottles of wine in his hand, obviously having made a trip to the kitchen.

"Those house-elves are scared out of their wits," he murmurs. "Here you go mum, the finest wine in the castle."

"Just what the Healer ordered," she grins.

"Have you – erm – taken a look outside lately, dad?" asks Jack.

"No…why?"

"Because the weather's getting worse and it looks like we're going to have to hunker down here." He takes a sip of the wine and Charlus takes a glass as well.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Jessica watches closely as Jason waves his wand in complicated figure eights to repair the arteries. It is fascinating watching him at work.

"Suction," he says to Karen.

She waves her wand and does as she is told.

"This is all going to be for nothing if we don't get that transfusion," he sighs.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"My son is going to bleed to death if he doesn't get a blood transfusion," says Mr. Davis, "and I haven't been able to find a donor! What's your blood type? His is A negative."

Sirius looks at Marlene, who has approached quietly and Mr. Davis nearly cries in relief.

"It's the same! Thank Merlin. Mr. Black, you have to go up there right now!"

Sirius looks through his hands, which have been holding his forehead.

"Sirius –" whispers Marlene.

"DO YOU HEAR ME?" asks Mr. Davis. "YOU ARE HIS ONLY CHANCE TO SURVIVE!"

"Mr. Davis! Stop it!" cries Marlene. "I'm sure that Sirius will give Marc the transfusion."

Sirius looks at Mr. Davis and by the look on his face, one can tell that he is seriously doubting that.

"Like hell he is," says Kristina, walking over to them. "If Marc's bleeding to death, let him." She looks at Marlene. "Seeing as all he has done to Evans, I'm surprised you don't agree."

Sirius looks at Kristina and then at Mr. Davis, wondering what in Merlin's name he should do.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	43. Black and White Ball Part 7

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Recap:** Kristina has a very strange conversation with Bellatrix, Mr. Davis searches the castle for a blood donor, Lily continues to search for Bellatrix; only escaping the Great Hall under James' nose, Nadine and Michael join Alice in Hogwarts hut, Dorea arrives at Hogwarts only to take a fall, Miranda is in more and more pain, Severus makes up his mind on how to handle Bellatrix, Sirius has a very important decision to make.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 43 – Black and White Ball Part 7

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 12 AM – 5 hours earlier**_

_CRASH!_

_Miranda: How far would you go to help another person? Would you risk your life to save theirs?_

"Suction," says Jason again. Karen does the same wand movement as before.

"We have one last artery to fix..." mutters Jason slowly.

"Can you tie it off?" asks Jessica.

"I can't see," says Jason. "More suction." Karen waves her wand.

"Can I get some more light in here?" asks Jason.

"Yeah," says Aaron, pointing his wand at where Jason is working. "Is that better?"

"Yes." He curses. "Gahh, he's hemorrhaging."

"His pulse is barely palpable," says Jessica. "We're losing him."

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All four of them are silent and Kristina turns to Sirius again.

"Why would you give your blood, or anything else, to Marc after everything he's done to your friends?"

Sirius looks blankly at all three of them.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Meanwhile, in Hagrid's hut the person that had been laying on the grounds outside is beginning to stir.

"The meaning of darkness awakens," says Michael. "Who are you and why are you here?" he cries. He has his wand trained on the man.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I'm not going to save her," says Severus. "I'm going to kill her." Frank and Lily stare at him incredulously.

"Let's go. I'm going to take you some place safe –" begins Frank, grabbing Lily's arm.

"No, I can help draw Bellatrix out to the open," struggles Lily.

"Will you give this up? Bellatrix doesn't care about you anymore. She's going to kill whoever gets in her way."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Talk! What nefarious agenda brought you to this castle tonight?" asks Michael, pointing his wand at the Death Eater.

The man just keeps making noises like he is choking though.

"Look, we're trying to save you so now you can return the favour," says Nadine. "_Why are you here?"_

The man lifts himself up slightly.

"The Dark Lord," he gasps, falling back down again.

Nadine feels his pulse again and turns to Alice with a grim look. Alice jumps up and moves to where Nadine is and feels for herself.

"Quiet one, what has happened?" asks Michael. Alice looks up at him fearfully.

"He's dead," she whispers.

Michael's mouth falls into a perfect 'O' and he slowly backs away.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"This is no game, Lily," says Severus. "This idea that you can lure out Bellatrix into a trap is ridiculous. You have no idea who you're up against."

"We are wasting time," says Frank impatiently. "I'm taking Lily some place safe. Are you coming with us or not?"

"I'll help you get to wherever you're taking Lily."

"Whoa, whoa, _whoa!_ I am _not_ a suitcase, I get a vote!" protests Lily.

"Not this time," says Frank. "Let's go."

Lily huffs and lets Frank drag her from the room with Severus in toll.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Did you see Alicia get grabbed?" asks Brandon.

"I saw what everybody else did," replies Brooke. "There was a loud clap of thunder, the entire castle shook, I look around and she was gone," she says frantically. "I need to find her."

"Brooke," says Brandon warily. "Think about what you're doing!"

"My best friend is in trouble!" she cries. She turns back around and continues on her way out.

"Then I'm going with you."

"You're wasting your time, Brandon!" calls Jarred, Brandon's best mate.

James stares at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jarred stares back at his older brother with dislike.

"Alicia's just is running off to get some attention."

"Oh yeah? Or perhaps you thought this was the perfect time to get revenge on Alicia for cheating on you last year and now that all hell's broken loose, you got your chance, didn't you?"

"That's beyond paranoid." He begins to walk away but James grabs him.

"Hey, I'm your brother. Don't walk away from me," says James, pulling him around. "Where is she? What'd you do to her?"

"I didn't do a damn thing!"

"Answer the question!" he orders, shaking Jarred. "What'd you do to her?"

Jeff throws him off furiously. "Hey _brother_," he says, straightening his shirt and jacket, "forget about Bellatrix, you're the one who's crazy, aren't you?"

"James, calm down and let him go," says Jacob, putting a hand on James' shoulder.

James lets his brother go in disgust and breathes heavily, recollecting himself and wondering what had set him off. He used to be so collected. What had happened? The only things he can think of is that him and his brother do not get on well, this night has been stressful for everyone, and the war is turning them all into monsters.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Miranda is walking around agitated and doubled over in severe pain, holding her side as she makes her way to a chair.

"He's crashing," says Jason. "I have to get this artery tied off. What's his pulse?"

"It's the same," says Jessica. "Karen, use the washcloth to put pressure on the vessel so Jason can get to it."

Karen does as she is instructed and Jason continues waving his wand around, obviously getting better results.

"There's a bleeder," mutters Jessica.

Aaron hands the lit wand to Margaret, who takes it, enabling Aaron to go over to where Miranda is now sitting.

"All right, that's it," whispers Aaron. "I am telling the others that –"

"No, no, they have to pay attention to Marc," argues Miranda, doubling over again in pain. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

"More suction," says Jason tersely. Karen obliges. "Hold that vessel steady! Can I have some more light in there?" Margaret leans the light closer.

"Damn it, I need more light," grunts Jason.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Jacob knows how to get the carriages," says Kristina. "He's going to try and take Marc to St. Mungos."

"He won't survive the trip!" cries Mr. Davis. Kristina glares at him. "He needs a blood transfusion and Sirius is the only match I could find!"

"If he dies you have no one to blame but yourself," says Kristina. "You've been a lousy father to Marc and –"

"This has nothing to do with you!" Mr. Davis shouts at Kristina. "Plus, that doesn't matter now! All I'm trying to do is to save my son! You want to hate me? Go ahead hate me! Just go up and help Marc!"

"You're a monster and so is your son," says Kristina passionately. "Don't _do it,_ Sirius!"

"Shouldn't this be _Sirius'_ decision?" asks Marlene irritated.

"All the Slytherins, and I'm sure Marc, would be thrilled if you caught an infection and you _died_," says Kristina. "At the very least, they'd be counting on you to lie on your back and you will be _vulnerable_ to Bellatrix. Don't _do_ it!"

"Okay, I'm sure that Sirius is very aware of the risks but he won't let someone innocent – under certain circumstances – die," says Marlene.

Sirius stares at her and then Kristina.

"Mr. Davis is right," says Marlene. "Marc is dying. I know you hate him for what he did to Lily and James, believe me, I do as well. That doesn't change the fact though that it's what Bellatrix _and_ Voldemort want. They're hoping that we won't go out of our way for him because let's face it, Marc's not going to be winning any popularity contests any time soon. You can't just let them win though, you have to save him."

"_Thank_ you," says Mr. Davis, bowing his head.

"Mr. Davis, this isn't _about you_," retorts Marlene annoyed. "Sirius," she says, turning back to him. "If he was a stranger. A perfect stranger and you could save his life, what would you -?"

"He's not a stranger," cuts off Kristina.

"Kristina –" tries Sirius.

"This is the guy who tormented his friends –"

"Since when do you give a damn about Sirius' friends?"

"I care about Sirius and he can't do this!"

"Marc is a human being, Kristina," says Marlene coldly.

"Hardly! You know the things he did to your friends! If anyone, _you_ should be the one saying that Sirius shouldn't do this, not me!"

"Sirius cannot satisfy everyone's need for revenge by letting a person bleed to death!"

"Can I just see what's going on for myself?" asks Sirius.

"If you're thinking about risking your health and possibly _your life_…then you are a fool and I don't want to watch it!" Kristina begins to walk away.

"Where are you going?" asks Sirius. She does not respond. "Listen, I know you think you're doing what's best for me but I don't need you to run my life! _My life!_ You getting all worked up will only get us into more trouble and that's the last thing we need!"

"If you want to go help that freak, go ahead!" shrieks Kristina. She storms away and Sirius watches her go.

"Sirius, don't do it," warns Marlene. "Kristina wants you to chase her long enough for Marc to die and just to prove she has that effect on you." Sirius stares at her.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

There is a loud thunderclap as Brooke and Brandon search for Alicia.

"Alicia's not here either," says Brooke, on the verge of tears. "What if Bellatrix has her?"

"All we can do is just keep looking," says Brandon.

"Do you have any idea how easy it would be to hide a _body_ around here?" she cries.

"Aw come on guys," says Jarred, walking up to them. "This is exactly what Alicia wants."

"_What?"_ cries Brooke in disbelief.

"Brandon, you know what a _drama queen_ the girl is," says Jarred. "She's run off so you can go after her."

"Save it Jarred. Now is _not the time,"_ says Brandon.

"Look man, Alicia just wants to scare everyone, alright? So when you go find her, you're this big hero. She's probably off right now working some –"

"You shut up! You shut up, you stupid pig!" cries Brooke, slapping Jarred in the chest repeatedly. He pushes her away. "Stop it!" She takes out her wand to try and curse him but he Disarms her. "Stop!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice, Michael, and Nadine walk back into the hut after getting rid of the body.

"I have never lifted a dead body," says Michael quietly.

"What kind of person gets rewarded for killing somebody they don't even know?" asks Nadine disgusted.

"I'm sure they have their reasons," says Alice matter-of-factly.

"Seriously though. Is it about the money or…the power? I mean how much is _enough_ to forget that you're taking a person's life? Leaving the family to grieve…"

"It's terrible what people do for power, we know that," reasons Alice. "We can't change that though right now. What we have to focus on is surviving. That's what's of the essence."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Aaron scowls and walks away from Miranda frustrated.

"There's so much blood it's hard to see," says Margaret. "It just keeps coming."

"What's wrong?" asks Jessica, reading Jason's face. "What's going on?"

"I tied off all the vessels I could see but there's still substantial bleeding," he replies. "I can control the bleed but I don't know the source."

"Okay, well trace the interior side of the wall, maybe the sword nicked another vessel," she suggests.

Jason leans closer for a minute and then back again.

"Yeah, you're right. I got it," he says. He smiles at Jessica and she smiles back, her heart leaping as she does so.

"Nice call," says Margaret. Jessica nods.

"All right, I'm going to tie this vessel off and then I'm going to close him up," says Jason.

"Beautiful," smiles Karen. Jason looks up and they exchange a brief but meaningful smile. Jessica looks sadly at the two of them, knowing that she will never get that kind of smile from him.

"Ow!" cries out Miranda as thunder strikes. Jessica stands up and walks over to her.

"Miranda?" she says.

"What's going on?" asks Jacob, coming in.

Miranda looks at him with pain in her eyes. Her mouth forms the word 'ow' but no sound actually comes out.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice sits down next to Nadine on Hagrid's bed.

"We spend our whole lives so sure of the things we do and not do and then one day something happens and you realize that there are no hard and fast rules. Sometimes you even find yourself doing something you never thought you could and no one is more surprised about it than you."

Nadine does not respond and there is another knock on the door and they all suddenly become alert.

"It's Frank!"

Michael rushes to the door and opens it for him.

Frank comes in, Lily and Severus in toll, and Alice runs up to hug Lily and then Frank.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You sick bastard!" yells Brooke, her speech near incomprehensible.

Brandon pulls her off and lifts her out of reach of Jarred.

"Get out of here, Jarred," grunts Brandon.

"Fine, I get that you're upset Brooke," says Jarred. "But you both know I'm telling the truth about Alicia."

"You are an _eejit!"_ cries Brooke but Brandon shakes his head and holds her back.

"Look, Brandon knows what Alicia's capable of and so do you," says Jarred exasperated.

"So do _I?_ What _I_ know is that you blame Alicia for every bad thing that happens to you ever since you broke up! Alicia saw you for what you truly are though! You're an ungrateful, self-absorbed, son-of-a-bitch!"

"Shut up!" he yells.

"Shut up? Shut up or what?" she cries. "Or what Jarred? You're going to tell me what a _'big, bad'_ hero you are? Why don't you _prove it?_ You've been miserable and insufferable ever since your brother died _again_. Why don't you just –"

But what he should do, she never gets to say because he whips out his wand and points it under her nose. She glares at it, slightly cross-eyed. He looks like he is ready to spit fire and Brandon sends him a warning glance.

"Watch it, Jarred," he warns, but Jarred ignores him.

"What did you say to me?" he growls.

"You heard me! Let me guess, you only took away the last part, right? Damn it, Potter, why don't _you_ go out and find Bellatrix?"

"Why should I go out and risk my life for her or anyone else? She wasn't grabbed from the Great Hall! The girl snuck off!" Brooke stares at him scandalized. "We were all distracted so she had the perfect opportunity to sneak off and get the whole school looking for her!"

"Listen to yourself!" cries Brandon, snapping. "Why the hell are you in Gryffindor? You're a bloody coward, for Merlin's sake!"

Jarred trains his wand on him also but does not say anything.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Please, please," begs Alicia, trying to get free but Bellatrix is holding her by the neck. "Don't kill me, please!"

"Why not?" asks Bellatrix. She opens one classroom door then closes it. "What possible use are you? You're a waste of creation, you exist only to betray and destroy." She lets go of her. "And if I kill you now I'm sure I'll save some guy the grief you have waiting for him."

"No, you don't _know_ me. You don't know who I am!"

"I know what you are," she says. "I know what you 'love'. I know what keeps you awake at night." Alicia looks away.

"What do you want?" she asks.

"I want you to make this worth my while," she replies. "Can you at least die with a little style? A little grace? Like maybe playing a little game with me?"

"A game? What kind of game?"

"A new, personal favorite of mine," she says. She reaches into her pocket and takes out a Muggle gun. "Russian roulette," she says, waving it around. "I don't hold high standards for Muggles but they do make interesting weapons of sorts."

"Where the hell did you get that?"

"You can summon anything off the streets of Muggle London these days," sneers Bellatrix.

Alicia stares at the gun, knowing that the odds are stacked against her when it comes to dueling Bellatrix for a Muggle weapon.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Does this hurt?" asks Jessica, pushing down lightly on Miranda's side. At first she does not respond then she yelps out in pain.

"Oh, ow!" she whimpers.

"She's running a fever," says Jessica. "Her lower waist is slightly distended and tender and hurts more when I –"

"When you let go," gasps Miranda, laying face-first down on the chair.

"Appendicitis," murmurs Jason.

"Looks like it."

"Is there anything you can do to help her?" asks Jacob.

Jason looks at Jessica. "Could you do that thing you did for Marc only perhaps stronger?"

"I can try," she says. She clears her throat and murmurs some words under her breath and waves her wand over Miranda. "That's the best I can do for pain relief now since we can't do an appendectomy right here. Even if we knew how to do it with our wands it would be too risky."

"Well actually, I came here to say I was successfully able to get the carriages and I can take Marc and Miranda to St. Mungos," says Jacob.

"I don't think Marc could survive a trip like that," says Karen. Sirius, Marlene, and Mr. Davis walk in at that moment.

"Marc needs a blood transfusion," adds Jason. "He's not going to move or he's going to die."

Sirius stares at him, too shocked to move because the hands of his cousin can take a life if he chooses not to help.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Kristina runs back to the entry hall and nearly collides with a figure much taller than her.

"Oh John, it's you," she says, looking up at Jacob's brother. "What are you doing here?"

"I was helping Jacob get the carriages," he says. "We need to get you out of here."

"You're just going to leave your brother?"

"No."

"Well for reasons unknown, Jacob has taken it upon himself to help get Marc back too," says Kristina.

"Jacob's too noble for his own good. If he insists on bringing Davis that means _nothing_ to me. It's just another passenger. He probably won't make it anyways."

"We have to go up to the common room and –"

"No, no, no we are securing the carriages before these annoying mercenaries sabotage them all."

"How is Jacob supposed to know we're waiting for him on the boat?"

"Fine! Go find Jacob or is it Black that you're really looking for?"

"Either way you're on your own –" begins Kristina.

"No, no don't be ridiculous, you have to get out of here."

"I am going to find Jacob!"

"No, you don't _get it_, Kristina!" he yells. "I am going to save you whether you like it or not!"

"This isn't your call so get over yourself!" She begins to walk away but he grabs her arm tightly.

"Come back here!" he says, shaking her.

"Let go of me!" she shrieks. She tries struggling but he only grips on tighter.

He pulls her in so they are almost nose-to-nose.

"There is _no way_ you are going to die. Do you understand?" he shouts.

She looks at him shocked.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"If we're going to give Marc this transfusion, it has to happen now," says Jason adamantly.

"Look at him, Sirius," cries Mr. Davis. "Look at him! He can't hurt you or anyone else. What are you going to do?"

Sirius looks at Marlene, who sighs.

"Sirius won't let him die," she says, somewhat regretfully.

Sirius continues to stare at her and then looks at Jason.

"All right – let's do this," he sighs. Mr. Davis looks relieved.

"We can try and manage the pain here but there's no way we can do an appendectomy or any other method," Jessica says to Miranda. Even though she has done the painkilling thing for Miranda it still is not having the desired effect.

"How long before a burst appendix becomes a real possibility?" asks Aaron.

"Erm – there's no way to know," says Margaret, looking down at Miranda. "Hours probably. If it even is appendicitis."

"Well, I have the carriage waiting," Jacob reminds them all. "I can get Miranda to St. Mungos."

"There's no way you'll ever make it, the storm is getting worse," points out Aaron.

"Yeah, it'll be dangerous but it'll beat the alternative!"

Miranda nearly yells out in pain and sits up slightly.

"It's up to you," says Jacob, crouching next to her. "Do you feel like taking a carriage ride in this rain with me?" Miranda lets out a painful laugh, "so I can get you to St. Mungos?"

"Yes." She leans down on the chair again.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Unless you plan on Stunning me and throwing me over your shoulder, I'm not going anywhere!" cries Kristina, still struggling to get away.

"Be quiet!" he yells, his grip getting tighter.

"Get off me, John!"

"Get your hands off her!" shouts Brandon, pushing John back. Kristina runs off quickly.

"BIG – _Big_ mistake! If you didn't realize already, my brother has growing feelings for Kristina and if anything happens to her, YOU ARE GOING TO PAY!" he yells. He walks off in the opposite direction.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I am relieved, beyond known words, that the fiery one escaped unharmed by the uber demented matriarch of evil," says Michael.

"Well, I'm happy to see you too," smiles Lily.

"Though, it fills my heart with dread to see you in the company of the septic sun." He turns to look at Severus, who is sitting next to Nadine.

"Are you okay?" Severus asks her.

"Yes, I'm fine," she nods.

"Any trouble?" asks Frank.

"There's a dead Death Eater outside but other than that we're fine," replies Alice. Frank looks at her gobsmacked.

"Did he try and hurt you?"

"Erm – we found him direly wounded and he died soon after," offers Michael.

"Did he say anything before he died?"

"Oh! Only that he was a disciple of the denizen of darkness of mercenary of the uber –"

"He said the name 'The Dark Lord' and nothing else," cuts off Alice, saving them a lot of time.

"Okay. It was probably one of the other Death Eaters who snuck onto the grounds when Charlus and James' older brothers arrived," says Frank, rubbing his eyes. "He was probably patrolling the grounds and we managed to get past him unscathed."

"I need to get out of here and back to the castle," says Severus, standing up.

"Wait a minute, what are you planning on doing?" asks Lily.

Severus looks at Michael. "Can you keep Lily here?" Lily opens her mouth in objection.

"Yes, I will dissuade the fiery one from endangering herself and others," says Michael.

"Frank, be careful," insists Alice.

He nods. "Michael," he says. "You're in charge, alright? You do _not_ let Lily leave this hut under _any_ circumstances."

"You have no right to order me or anybody else around," snaps Lily angrily, walking up to Frank.

"I will remain vigilant! All will be well!" calls Michael, locking the door after them.

He turns around to face Lily nervously, who is furious.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Bellatrix opens another classroom but closes it again.

"There are so many rooms," she says. "We have to find the right one."

"Please," begs Alicia. "Please don't do this."

"Why not? You probably feel alive for the first time in your life!" She opens a door but finds it to be a broom cupboard so she closes it again. She lets go of Alicia.

"You're insane," Alicia states.

"Yes, I am." Alicia sighs. "It's so liberating, I can do _whatever_ I want and I don't care what anybody thinks. Right now, I want to play and there _must_ be a game room somewhere in this damn castle."

"Okay," says Alicia, winging it. "What if – I play your game…Russian roulette and I survive? Does that mean I get to go free?"

"Of course. You just have to kill me first," smirks Bellatrix.

"Let me have my wand back."

"Now why would I do that?"

"Just give me my wand so I can get it over with."

"You'll get your chance once we find a game room," says Bellatrix annoyed.

"Oh, well I think it's actually that door on the left," points Alicia.

She looks over there and Alicia grabs a vase and smashes it on Bellatrix's head then grabs her wand and runs.

She staggers, getting upright again, and then cackles coldly.

"That was good! Run you little bitch!" she calls after her. "When I catch you we're going to play a new game!"

_Things are really starting to get interesting_ she thinks with a smirk.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Brooke and Brandon are now in the entry hall.

"Alicia and that girl who looks like Lily –" he begins.

"Nadine."

"Yes. They were both snatched from the Great Hall."

"Which means Bellatrix has a way in and those people are not safe," says Brooke, understanding where he is going with this.

"We've got to move them," continues Brandon.

"Where are those people going to go?"

"There's a lot less people then there used to be. They can go back to their common rooms."

"We should all stick together!"

"That doesn't look like an option right now." He begins to walk way when Brooke calls out to him.

"What about Alicia?" she asks.

"I want to find Alicia as much as you do, but we're not going to do that by just walking around this place. We may be able to help those people still in the Great Hall."

"We?"

"Alicia would not want you to _risk your life_ searching for her alone. Now help me move those people someplace safe." He puts a hand on her shoulder.

She looks at him and then sighs and gives in.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Frank and Severus walk down the corridor and turn right.

"I'm going to look for Bellatrix on my own," says Severus.

"That's fine, go ahead," replies Frank shortly.

Severus looks surprised. "That's it?"

"Well, you know Bellatrix better than anyone and you know how to stop her, correct?"

"Why do you trust me?"

"I don't have a lot of options right now," says Frank. He walks away from Severus, leaving him in the middle of the corridor.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You get this is a bunch of macho garbage, right?" says Lily to Michael. Michael looks down so Lily turns to Alice and Nadine.

"The big bad men take off while the – _woman-folk_ sit idly, waiting to be _rescued?"_

"Erm – I do not consider my self 'woman-folk'," intervenes Michael.

"Yes! That's exactly my point!" cries Lily. "We all know you're just as good in a crisis yet the guys don't give you enough credit!"

"We're talking about a crazy killer," says Nadine. Lily turns around.

"Listen Lily, we'd only be causing more trouble and get in the way if we leave now," reasons Alice. "Frank put us in here because he doesn't want to have to worry about our well-being."

Lily tilts her head and turns back to Michael.

"We have wands, Michael, and we're fairly good duelers. What are we afraid of?"

"We're in the middle of a war, Lily!" cries Nadine.

"Any normal person should be afraid," adds Alice sensibly.

"You're not afraid, are you Michael?" asks Lily. "Frank thinks you can't handle this, that's why he went off with Severus but we can take Bellatrix!"

"Don't listen to her, Michael," pleads Nadine.

"Don't do this Lily!" cries Alice. "It's one thing to risk your own life but to get Michael to as well? I know you're not one to sit, holed up in a house while others are fighting but that's what you _have to do._ Bellatrix wants _you!"_

"Then let her get me!"

"And what'll that do?" shouts Alice, on the verge of tears. "No one wants you to die, Lily! That's exactly why we're here! If you die, Voldemort _wins._ Don't just throw your life away because you think it's the noble thing to do! You've got something worth living for!"

Lily turns back to Michael.

"We can do this as a team, Michael," she says. "Just you and me, forget the others! Don't you want to stop Voldemort's main enforcer?"

Michael looks like he is fighting an internal battle on whether or not he should give in to her.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Good luck," Jacob says to Sirius. "Don't worry about anything else."

"Yeah, I appreciate that," says Sirius after a minute.

He claps Sirius on the shoulder and walks back to Miranda. Sirius sits down on a chair next to Marc.

"I knew you couldn't let a man die," Marlene says. Sirius nods. "Well apparently you _could_ – but when you saw Marc was helpless – I'm immensely moved by the fact that you can put a grudge aside."

"I'm just curious why you care if Marc lives or dies," says Sirius. "You know, after everything he's done to our friends."

"Well, Marc may deserve to _suffer_," she replies, "but nobody deserves to die." She pauses. "Besides, this is more about who you are then his well-being. Look, I'm going to be here, okay? I'll be here the whole time and if Bellatrix or any other Death Eater walks through that portrait, you have my word I'm going to kill them myself."

Sirius smiles. "I have no doubt." Marlene smiles too.

"Oh, when is it that damn spell going to work?" asks Miranda, bent over.

"Believe it or not, it's supposed to be working already," mutters Jessica grimly.

"Can I take her to the carriage?" asks Jacob.

"I can't – I can't – I can't do that," falters Miranda. "It hurts too much, I can't move!"

"You don't have to do a thing," says Jacob.

"You said you couldn't be certain if it was her appendix," says Aaron.

"No, not without a laparoscopy but they will confirm that once she gets to St. Mungos," says Jessica.

"What happens if it bursts?" groans Miranda, rocking back and forth.

"Erm – you can get peritonitis, which is a very severe infection. That would mean we would have to take your appendix out right away and we are in no way prepared or capable of doing that kind of surgery here."

"How do you know all this?" asks Miranda weakly.

Jessica shrugs. "I like reading Muggle doctor books." She pauses. "So, your best option is to try and relax, let the spell do what it's supposed to, and let Jacob get you to the boat." Miranda grunts in pain.

"What would you do?" she asks.

"Miranda, I can't –"

"If it were Jason what would you do?"

Jessica is taken aback but then whispers, "I'd get him to the carriage if I had to carry him myself."

Miranda pants and sighs then nods at Jacob. He nods and stands up. She allows him to pick her up and they walk out of the room.

Jason rolls up Sirius' sleeve and Sirius looks at Marc. Jason ties a band around Sirius' arm and Sirius feels a hand slip into his, which he knows to be Marlene's.

He squeezes her hand and she squeezes back, as if to convey that everything is going to be okay and that she will be by his side. He smiles slightly, the message received.

Mr. Davis watches his son, as they prepare for the blood transfusion, noting how deathly white he is and wondering how they got to such a place where he cannot even whisper reassurances to him without Marc looking at him like he is crazy.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Kristina walks out onto the grounds and looks around. It appears to be empty, no sign of life anywhere.

She begins walking down the slope and hears the sound of someone stepping on a twig. She turns around and nearly jumps out of her skin. There stands a cloaked man wearing a mask and pointing his wand at her.

She barely dares to move.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The blood transfusion has begun and everyone is silent as Sirius' blood goes through a tube that connects him and Marc.

"Is that the way it's supposed to work?" asks Mr. Davis.

"It's supposed to be in a sterile environment with proper equipment and professional Healers," says Jason. "Your son's getting the best we have to offer."

No one says anything and look exceptionally grim.

"I'll be back," says Jason to Jessica. She nods and he walks to the other side of the common room.

He walks over to where Karen is now sitting on the floor.

"Hey," whispers Jason, sitting down next to her.

"Don't mind me, I'm just tired," says Karen bashfully.

"Yeah, well it has been a rough night for everyone," agrees Jason.

"I was just thinking of my family," she says. "How afraid they must have been when they were killed by You-Know-Who. I don't think I had any idea how they must have felt until tonight." She sighs. "Pay no attention to my babbling. I'm fine, really."

"Well I'm not," says Jason. "I'm scared as hell but that's okay."

"You've been amazing this whole time," she says, sniffing.

"Yeah, well people expect me to be but you – you've been a pleasant surprise." She smiles warmly at him and he returns the favour.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I need your help," Jacob says to John, his brother.

"What happened?" asks John.

"Her appendix. We need to get to St. Mungos before it ruptures."

"I tried to talk Kristina into coming with us. I even threatened to carry her on the boat. I'll take Miranda, you go get your 'girlfriend'."

"It's all right, Jacob, I'll be all right," moans Miranda.

"John, I can barely get the carriage to the front of the castle by myself," says Jacob. "We'll wait for you."

"No, no the storm's getting worse and so are you," says John. Miranda cringes in pain as he said this.

"You can't get to St. Mungos without me," says Jacob.

"Alright. Come on, let's go," says John, leading the way.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You don't want to hurt me," says Kristina, taking her wand out slowly.

"Why not?"

"I can –" she stalls.

"What's going on?" asks another Death Eater, walking over.

The first looks over at the newcomer and Kristina takes that as her opportunity to duck for cover. They start shooting curses at the area they believe her to be.

"You think you can hide from us?" sneers the first one.

The second one guffaws. "I'll take care of her."

Frank is hidden behind one of the pillars and notices Dorcas across from him. He has not seen her for most of the night but he cannot be gladder to see a friendly face.

He nods slightly and she nods and they both pivot and shoot curses at the Death Eaters. Lights are flashing as they go back and forth and each in turn ducks behind pillars and bushes.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"We could make a great team, Michael," says Lily earnestly.

"She'll ditch you the minute you get out the door!" cries Nadine.

"Please, use your head, Lily," begs Alice. "You may be stubborn but you're not an eejit. Don't go rushing into harms way when there are people out there working to protect you!"

"Are you coming with me or not?" Lily asks Michael.

"I'm under direct orders from Frank," sighs Michael.

"I'm not."

"You can't leave!"

"Oh? And who's going to stop me?" She begins walking to the door.

"Don't do this, fiery one. I will not let you intentionally place yourself in danger."

She opens the door and with one last look at him walks out. He panics so he grabs his wand.

"_Stupefy!"_ he cries.

Lily falls to the ground with a crunch and lands in the grass outside of the hut. Michael walks to the threshold and stares at her remorsefully, wishing there had been an easier way.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alicia wanders through the dark corridors, not knowing where she is and praying that she will not run into Bellatrix again. She rounds the corner, looking back to see if anyone is following her and shrieks when she looks front again.

"Take it easy, it's only me," whispers her friend Justin. She sighs in relief and hugs him tightly.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"What are you doing here?" asks Remus surprised.

"I was going to look for anything that might help Marc for pain," says Margaret.

"So you decided to wander around the castle with a _lunatic_ on the loose? Why would you _do_ that?"

"I was also trying to find you, Remus! I figured you might be here since I remember you coming down this corridor before."

"But why would you take that risk?" he yells. "Margaret, why would you -?"

"STOP! Stop!" she cries over him. He falls silent, his eyes changing from the hard look he had been giving her to an apologetic one.

"I'm sorry, okay?" He walks into a classroom and over to the Professor's desk. "I'm sorry." She wraps her arms around him.

"It's all right," she whispers. "It's all right. _I'm_ all right."

There is a flash of green light that misses Remus' ear narrowly. Margaret screams at the fact that he narrowly missed death.

"Oh, I'm _sorry_," sneers Bellatrix. "I thought you might want to die in each others arms. It's a lot easier than being left alone."

Remus' eyes flash and his wand is out before you can blink twice. He sends a curse Bellatrix's way but she deflects it easily. Hers, he does not have enough time to react to, and suddenly it is as though a hand has seized itself around his throat. He falls to his knees, fighting to get the curse lifted off of him.

"Remus!" she cries, as Bellatrix continues choking him. He is steadily turning purple.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A Death Eater sends another curse at Frank but misses him narrowly. Frank counts to three and indicates Dorcas to shoot another curse and she does, Stunning one of the Death Eaters. Frank sends a Stunning curse also and successfully hits the other.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Michael levitates Lily back into Hagrid's hut and places her on the bed.

"Erm – unconscious fiery one?" he says uncertainly. "I feel the deepest remorse but – Godric, why couldn't you have listened to Frank's warnings? I mean he gave you – he gave you specific instructions not to venture outside and made me responsible of keeping you out of harms way." He pauses.

"Erm – fair Lily, when you strode to the entrance without so much as a backwards glance, ignoring my pleas for you to stay, I a – I can't quite fathom that I did this but – I actually Stunned you. Lily, I beg forgiveness. I – I panicked and I was just trying to save your impetuous life. Please understand and – more importantly, please be okay." He then says, "_Enervate."_

Lily's eyes slowly open and she stares at Michael.

"Fair Lily?"

Her mouth forms an 'O' and she grabs her head.

"Ohh," she groans. "Did I get hit with a branch or something that –"

"Actually, the details are irrelevant," says Michael hastily. "You should – you should just lie back and rest."

She nods. "I am kind of – sleepy," she yawns.

Michael jumps. "Actually! If the fiery one is concussed then sleep is most ill-advised," he says. He gets up quickly and runs over to get some blankets to put behind her. "I need to monitor your pupils and other vital matters."

"Yeah," she agrees. "I've heard of that. It's just so weird," she continues. "I was barely out the door –"

"Yes – weird, but let's steer our thoughts to a happier place."

"I'm just wondering…what –?"

"Yes. It makes sense but you need some stress-free recuperation. You know, stress-free, don't think about it. You know, I'll be most happy to assist you in your recuperation."

Lily smiles. "You're so nice. What did I do to deserve an amazing friend like you?"

Michael smiles awkwardly.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Alice stands outside, looking for a sign of Frank or anyone else coming. She walks back into the hut and closes the door after her.

"Bellatrix and the others are bound to find us sooner or later," says Nadine, looking over to where Lily and Michael are.

"Maybe not if they're focusing on the castle," shrugs Alice.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sirius looks at Marc and then again at Marlene who takes his hand and holds it against her cheek. She looks at him concerned, for she notices he looks drowsy.

"You look worse than I feel," he mumbles dryly.

She laughs shortly. "I know what it took for you to agree to do this," she says. "But in your heart you couldn't let an innocent man die."

"I don't give a damn about Marc Davis," he says weakly. "I did it for you."

His eyes are slightly closed.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Frank now has Kristina next to him, behind a pillar and he counts to Dorcas and they fire again. It only bounces off the pillars, sending them for cover.

Another Death Eater pivots out and shoots at them but misses and does not see Frank until it is too late and gets Stunned.

"Are you okay?" Frank asks Kristina, going over to the Death Eater.

"Yeah…thanks," says Kristina. "Thank Merlin you showed up Frank or they would have killed me."

"Don't thank me," says Frank coolly. He takes off the mask and it reveals the face of Travers. Dorcas takes off the mask of the other two to reveal Lucius Malfoy and Yaxley. "I only helped you because no one deserves to die tonight. You still have been treating Sirius and Marlene terribly and trying to sabotage their relationship."

"I'm not the enemy!"

"Maybe not tonight but after this nightmare is over you will be again to them. Just like how Miranda is for Lily and James. I don't care how 'nice' she's being tonight!"

Kristina scowls at him and then turns to Dorcas, only now noticing that she is here. She looks surprised.

"What are you doing here?" Kristina asks.

"That's pretty rude considering I just helped save your sorry arse," snaps Dorcas, and Kristina gives her a dirty look.

"Well, _excuse_ –"

"We don't have time for this," Frank says shortly. "Why don't you _both_ tell me what you're doing out here?"

"_I_ was just inside the entry hall and ran off after Brandon helped me get away from Jacob's psychotic brother."

"What do you mean 'get away'?"

"He wanted me to leave the grounds with him and Jacob and then grabbed my arm." Frank looks at her arm and sees several red marks that look like fingerprints.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine."

He then turns to Dorcas. "What's your story? Why are you wandering around the grounds?"

Dorcas pauses for a moment. "I needed some fresh air. Things were getting to claustrophobic for my taste."

Frank hesitates but does not press the matter further. He does not want to risk hanging around the grounds anymore and ushers them in.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Remus had broken the curse and spells and curses were flying back and forth.

"_Levicorpus!"_ Remus thinks, and Bellatrix is hoisted into the air by her ankle.

"Well done Half-breed," she sneers, but she is able to send the choking hex at him again even though she is upside down.

"Remus!" cries Margaret.

Remus tries to reach for his wand, which has fallen on the ground. Due to this, Bellatrix also has come crashing down and is grinning with malice. Remus tries to lunge but is finding it impossible.

Bellatrix lifts the curse and Remus falls back, nearly hitting the table but sends a curse at her before she can at him.

"Remus! Stop!" cries Margaret terrified. "STOP!"

Bellatrix sends Remus over the table and he knocks it over from the force. Margaret shrinks back against the teacher's desk as Bellatrix comes towards her, her wand forgotten on the floor.

Bellatrix pushes her out of the way roughly and grabs a piece of rope they had been using the other day in a Transfiguration lesson. She steps behind Remus and with another wave of her wand, the rope begins strangling him again.

"Let him go!" cries Margaret in anguish. She points her wand at Bellatrix but she does not budge. "LET HIM GO!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	44. Black and White Ball Part 8

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Recap:** Marc is dangerously close to not surviving, Lily is taken to join the others in Hagrid's hut, tensions are running high; clearly displayed by James and Jarred, Sirius decides to put his differences' aside for Marlene's sake, Miranda needs to go to St. Mungos before her appendix bursts, Alicia escapes a crazy Bellatrix, Frank, Dorcas, and Kristina fight off several Death Eaters on the grounds, Remus begins dueling Bellatrix; the latter looking as though she will win.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 44 – Black and White Ball Part 8

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 1 AM – 4 hours earlier**_

_CRASH!_

_Justin: We all think we want the truth. Sometimes when you hear it, you wish you had gone on believing the lie._

"I thought you were Bellatrix Lestrange," sniffs Alicia terrified. "She's chasing me."

"It's okay. Don't worry," says Justin. "I'll keep you safe."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Margaret points her wand at Bellatrix, knowing very well how to kill her but afraid she might hit Remus by accident.

"Stop!" yells Severus, running in. "Let him go!"

He runs over to Bellatrix who has lifted the curse off of Remus and is grinning as Remus gasps for air. Margaret runs over to him, fearing the worst and Severus pulls Bellatrix off the ground.

"It's over, you have to get out of here," says Severus. "The Dark Lord is going to be furious with –"

"Don't touch me!" snarls Bellatrix. "If I didn't know better Severus, I would assume you weren't on the Dark Lord's side."

"I am and that's why I want you out of here. You don't want Charlus Potter to find you, do you?"

"Don't tell me what to do. I'm higher ranked than you!"

"I don't give a damn about ranking, just go! You're bound to get caught sooner or later!"

"Not just yet," growls Bellatrix. "I have some unfinished work to do and you're going to help me." Severus is silent for a minute.

"You came here solely to get Lily Evans," says Severus. "Why are you going around trying to _strangle_ people?"

"It's more fun. Anyway, you're going to join the others like a good little Death Eater or I'll kill you in between your eyes."

"Do you want to get locked in Azkaban for life?" asks Severus coldly. "Are you really that daft?"

Bellatrix glares at him angrily and then walks out of the room, though not to leave the castle. Margaret helps Remus stand up again and he fingers his throat, which now has rope burn on it.

"What the hell was that?" Remus pants.

Severus does not reply and stares at the place Bellatrix had just been standing. Remus walks away from Margaret and walks over to Severus.

"Why'd you save me?"

Severus looks at him. "Your guess is as good as mine."

No one says anything and Alicia walked in.

"Thank Merlin! Can somebody tell me how to get back to the Great Hall? This castle is so bloody confusing and obviously a Marauder would know his way around!"

"What happened? Where were you?" asks Remus immediately.

"Bellatrix captured me and tried to get me to play Russian roulette," says Alicia. They all look at her baffled. "Don't even ask." She then looks at Severus. "She's mental!"

"Sorry?" says Severus, unsure of what to say.

"Screw your apology! Your lunatic friend nearly killed me!"

"How did you get away?"

"This stupid castle saved me. Bellatrix got all turned around looking for a 'game room' so since she still had my wand, I broke a vase over his head and ran. I got lost and then Justin found me –"

"Where's Justin?"

"He dropped me off at the second floor and somehow I got turned around and didn't end up back at the Great Hall. I hate this school at night!"

"Well, there's no one in the Great Hall now, they all moved to the Gryffindor common room," says Remus.

"Okay, well I have to get there. Brooke is probably going crazy –"

"I'll take you," says Severus.

"Yeah, right. Why would I trust _you?"_

"Alicia, you're probably safer with him then anyone else," says Margaret. "He just talked Bellatrix down."

Alicia hesitates for a millisecond. "Fine, come on." She walks out with Severus tailing behind her.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Charlus pours some more wine for himself.

"I don't like this at all," murmurs Dorea. "This castle is far too dangerous at night. They need more torches in the hallway. I knew something terrible was going to happen. My back is smarting like crazy."

"More brandy, love?" asks Charlus, walking over to the bed.

"No," she says, smiling. "One glass was enough."

"You know, actually, I could use a little more brandy," says Jack, walking over to the bottle on the nightstand.

Charlus gets to it before him and snatches it up.

"There's a limited supply here. This is for medicinal purposes only," he explains. He then tips the bottle back and drinks from it.

"Dad! Wh – stop it!" says Jack irritated. "You're the Minister!" Charlus grins and shakes the bottle, indicating that it is empty. "I'm the one that risked my life to _find_ that brandy!"

"Yes, well it's been a rough night so I think I can make an exception," says Charlus dryly.

Jack scowls. "I'm going to go downstairs and see how everyone's doing." He walks out of the dormitory and down the girls' frozen staircase.

Charlus walks back over to Dorea and she says, "Not that I don't agree with what you just said but don't you think you were a little mean?"

Charlus sits down next to her. "Was I?" he jokes. "Nooo. As far as I'm concerned I'm preventing my son from getting alcohol poisoning."

"And getting it yourself?"

"Exactly," he says cheekily. He looks around. "Finally. Alone at last," he says, kissing her hand.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Well, I would _love_ to take credit for this good deed but the fact is Sirius, you're not the kind of man who would let anyone die."

"You believe in me, you always have," whispers Sirius softly. His eyes close a little more.

"Feeling all right?" she asks, rubbing his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he says, trying to sit up.

"It's common to feel lightheaded when you give blood but Sirius, you're looking a little pale," says Marlene worriedly.

"We used to fight constantly," laughs Sirius, ignoring her worries. "We were like cats and dogs and our friends hated it almost as much as we hated Lily and James arguing. It's kind of ironic that fighting brought us even closer together and our first kiss – I think I loved you ever since then." His eyes close and he does not say anything else.

"Sirius?" she says. "Sirius! Something's wrong!" she calls to Jessica. "Something's wrong, he needs help!"

Jessica runs over to them. "Sirius can you hear me?" she asks, feeling his pulse. "Sirius? _Sirius?"_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I'll take you both down to Hagrid's cabin," says Frank. "You'll be safer."

"Okay," says Kristina.

"You can take her," says Dorcas. "I can take care of myself."

"Will you get off your high horse? Frank is just trying to protect us, okay?" snaps Kristina.

"I don't need protection, I can get back to the Gryffindor common room by myself."

"Michael is down there along with his date and Lily," says Frank. "Alice is down there too."

"Oh, I'm sure. I'm sure she was the first person you _rushed_ to safety," says Dorcas coldly.

Frank looks at her in surprise. He thought that Alice and Dorcas were on good terms again. By the looks of it, it seems as though old wounds have opened up. Why is she suddenly acting so harsh?

"I thought you two were friends."

"We are but that doesn't mean she doesn't piss me off with her self-righteous way of being."

"Okay, I don't know what the hell your problem is but we're wasting time," says Frank.

"Fine, but let's go back to the Gryffindor common room first and check on the others."

Frank gives an exasperated sigh.

"Fine, let's go."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You picked an unfortunate time for romance, dear, I can barely move," says Dorea.

"Well then just sit here and listen to me," amends Charlus. "You know, only a little while ago I thought something bad was going to happen to you. That's when I've realized…I've taken so much for granted, between you and the children. I barely spend more than meals at home and look what's become of it. Jarred is nowhere to be seen anymore. He won't come down for dinner at the same time ever since John was killed."

"And then we finally found out that John was still alive," sighs Charlus. "Maybe if I had convinced him to become anything other than an Auror he would have been still alive! Face it, it's all my fault that our son's are either dead or as good as –"

"Stop it," cuts off Dorea. "Stop it right now, do you hear me? You know that's a load of rubbish, Charlus, don't say it! Sure, you may not be around a lot but you're the Minister and I knew that when I got involved with you! The children have also adjusted to this fact and alright, perhaps our children would have benefited if you were home more but we can't change the past."

Charlus sighs and looks at his hands. "Unless we get a Time Turner –"

"Charlus," warns Dorea. "Would you _honestly_ want to change our family if you could? I would _love_ to have a closer relationship with Jarred and I _still_ pine for John to be alive, I think I always will, but think about all the good in our family."

"Like what?"

"Well, look how independent our children have become. As far as I can see, that's a good trait considering we were so much older when we had them. Merlin knows how long we'll be around for."

"Also, look at James. He's turning into a magnificent young man, much like his father I might add. Not to say that he would be anything else but aren't you proud of him?"

"Extremely. I've never seen him as happy as he is with Lily and he must really care about her if he was willing to clean up his act," agrees Charlus. "He's definitely grown up over the past year and has become more mature in more ways than none."

"And would you have it any other way?" asks Dorea.

"No. I wouldn't."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I have not always been – a great friend," hesitates Michael. "And we haven't really intimately spoken until tonight."

"You have been loyal, kind, and generous beyond belief this entire night," says Lily.

"You are too kind."

"I've seen people take you for granted, Michael. People walk over your opinions and regard them as useless –"

"This litany of grievance is – is just a figment of you fiery imagination, that's all," says Michael earnestly. "Nevertheless, I am honoured by your confidence. I would much enjoy being your friend."

"I really hope you mean that," says Lily. "It's always nice to have another good friend who I can count on."

Michael smiles. "I'm glad you feel that way."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"He just stopped talking in the middle of a sentence," says Marlene terrified.

"He probably hasn't eaten in a while, his blood sugar might be low –" begins Mr. Davis.

"You have to stop this _now_," cries Marlene, indicating to all the tubes.

"Not now!" yells Mr. Davis. "Marc _needs_ the transfusion."

"Not at the expense of Sirius' life. Look, you either stop this right now or I will!" she says angrily, looking from Jason to Jessica.

No one moves.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Remus sits down in a chair with his head in his hand and Margaret sits down next to him.

"Okay, breathe for me," begs Margaret, concerned that not enough oxygen is getting to his brain.

Remus sighs. "I wish I could. I wish I could breathe for you, Margaret. I wish I lived for you, I wish I could do a lot of things for you."

Margaret forces a smile, feeling slightly unsettled. She has never felt this way for someone before and everything Remus just said, she feels the exact same way. The foreboding feeling she has been experiencing all night has returned though and she looks around, slightly paranoid.

"I know you wish you could do all those things Remus but I care about you simply for who you are and what you already _can_ do."

"I love you," he whispers. Margaret smiles, this time genuinely.

"I love you too, Remus."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I don't like the feeling of abandonment," admits Dorea. "And I have serious reservations of what you do when you're not home and out their fighting and who you're fighting against. Having said that, I'm awfully glad I married you because it's never a dull moment."

"Smartest move I ever made," says Charlus, shifting positions slightly.

"You make me feel alive," whispers Dorea, wincing in pain as she shifts. "You are frustrating, _infuriating_, and absolutely fabulous. That's love though, right?"

"Yes. I suppose I passed those genes on to James," he grins and then pulls her in for a kiss. After a minute she pulled back.

"You know, I would be touched by this declaration," she begins, "but in case you've forgotten, I am in _extraordinary_ pain and you drank _all_ the booze."

"There is no more booze," announces Jack, walking back in.

"How is that even possible? Isn't there any in the kitchens?"

"Apparently my 'baby brother' and his best mate smuggled it in. There is only butterbeer and that's only strong enough for house elves. It's like a rat maze out there," continues Jack.

"Oh, that's too easy," teases Charlus, and Jack smirks.

"I got lost trying to find the kitchens."

"You know, all that is so irrelevant. All that matters here is that we're sitting here completely surrounded by no booze."

Dorea looks at him like he is mental. Perhaps he is though.

"Why don't _you_ go find the booze?" suggests Jack.

"I shall," agrees Charlus. "You take it easy, love, I'll be back soon with a bottle of the good stuff."

"Hold it," orders Dorea. Charlus turns around. "Is this a stupid face? You're not looking for booze, you're looking for Bellatrix Lestrange."

Charlus stares at her then just laughs, confirming her suspicions, and closes the door after him.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"His pulse is getting stronger," mutters Jason, holding a towel to Marc's wound.

"Do you think that my son will live?" asks Mr. Davis.

Jason looks at him. "I can't make any guarantees but he's improving."

Aaron walks over to the two of them. "It's obvious to anyone whose met your son that he doesn't like you and you obviously have contempt for him. So why are you suddenly so concerned?"

"Well, that's a good question. Too hard to answer," he amends, walking over to Marc.

"What? A Ministry employee with your reputation suddenly at a loss for words?"

Mr. Davis does not say anything and walks away from him. Jason stares at Aaron.

"Some things can't be explained. The impulse to save someone you thought you couldn't stand is one of them." Aaron is silent.

"Sirius is going to be fine," says Jessica, trying to convince Marlene. "He's made it through worse than this."

"Well, that doesn't exactly inspire confidence," says Marlene dryly.

"Why don't you try talking to him?" suggests Jessica. "You know, just let him know you're here because he obviously cares about you a lot."

Marlene nods and walks over to where Sirius is sitting. She kneels down next to him.

"Alright Sirius, look, if you are trying to prove a point I think you're taking it a little too far. Yes, I encouraged you to give blood to Marc but I didn't want you to lose your life in the process all right?" Mr. Davis looks over to where they are. "So just, show me that I'm worrying for nothing!" she pleads. "Wake up."

Mr. Davis walks away again from his son and back to where Aaron is.

"My relationship with Marc has always been difficult. He does well enough in school, he is most likely going to be accepted into the Ministry of Magic –"

"But it's never enough," cuts off Aaron.

"Do you know how I feel when I look down on my son?" asks Mr. Davis. "All those years that I've wasted and I'm not sure if they can be repaired." He laughs but Aaron can tell it is not because he finds the situation funny. "It's absurd, right? At my age to feel lonely and – err – disappointed."

He looks away from Aaron and back at Marc who stirs slightly.

"When we're done with school we should get away, just the two of us," continues Marlene to an unconscious Sirius. "A week of no one around us, just us two and any place we want to go. No distractions. There is no one else I'd rather go with. Come on Sirius, there's so much we have to look forward to," whispers Marlene, choking up as she touches his cold cheek.

Just then; Kristina, Dorcas, and Frank walk into the already crowded common room. All eyes turn on them and it goes silent.

"Sirius? _Sirius?"_ cries Kristina, running over to him. "How long has he been unconscious?" she asks Jason.

"_Not long,"_ says Marlene before Jason can respond. She stands up to face Kristina.

"I should have never let you talk him into this," breathes Kristina.

"It was Sirius' choice, he made the deci –" begins Marlene.

"_You_ guilted him into it with all that rubbish about saving a 'human-beings' life."

"That transfusion was Marc's only chance," says Mr. Davis coldly.

"Sirius doesn't owe Marc anything," cries Kristina. "What did you guys do to him? How much blood did you take?" Kristina asks, taking Marlene's spot next to Sirius.

"Kristina, we are all guessing here. We don't have anything resembling the right equipment," says Jessica. "We don't know –"

"So we have no idea," states Kristina annoyed, "when he's going to wake up –!"

"Kristina, leave Jessica alone," orders Frank.

"I'm so sorry, I thought everything was fine," begins Jessica.

"No, no you have nothing to apologize for," says Frank. "You did what you thought was best considering the circumstances."

"Sirius, come on. Sirius you have to wake up," pleads Kristina. "You didn't listen to me before but you have to listen to me now. Please, you have to come back to me, Sirius –"

"Excuse me, I don't believe _you're_ his girlfriend," says Marlene, her blood boiling. "You have no right to be here acting like it either!"

Kristina ignores her. "You have to wake up."

Sirius' eyes open up. "Kristina?" he says groggily. He pauses. "Where's Marlene? What's wrong?"

"It's all right, you're all right," says Kristina relieved. Marlene, however, stands behind her, looking extremely put out.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"It might be selfish," whispers Margaret, "but I wish we could stay here together."

"So do I," says Remus. "But it's too dangerous. I'm going to take you up to the Gryffindor common room with the rest of the castle."

"All right," agrees Margaret, "but I want you to stay with me."

Remus laughs shortly. "Margaret, the woman who just tried to kill us is loose in the castle. I have to help stop her."

"Yeah, but…other people are still searching for her. You don't need to help, you'll only be putting your life on the line."

"I have to at least make an attempt to protect the people I care about!"

"Looking for Bellatrix Lestrange would be dangerous even in the best of circumstances," begins Margaret. "It'll be ten times worse looking for her in a dark, confusing castle!"

"Okay, okay I'll be careful, I promise," says Remus wearily.

"I _love_ you, Remus!" cries Margaret, on the verge of tears. "I don't want to lose you to this war!"

"I know that and I feel the same way! I almost lost you once and I sure as hell won't let that happen again!"

"Then if you stay with me –"

"Wh – Why are you fighting me on this?" falters Remus. "Do you think that I can't protect you?"

"No, no –"

"Is that what this is about?" he asks.

"No! You almost got strangled a few minutes ago and a few minutes before that almost got hit by the Killing Curse –!"

"I promise I'll be safe for you, Margaret," begs Remus. "Please let me try and protect you! I want you to be safe! I don't want you to be in harms way again!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Nadine sighs and turns to Alice, smiling weakly.

"I bet you weren't expecting to be holed up in Hagrid's house tonight," says Alice dryly.

"Hopefully the rest of the year will be boring in comparison to this," snickers Nadine.

"Yes, I'd welcome a little boredom," says Alice, sitting down again. "Also to be safe with the people I love."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room Lily and Michael are still talking, the former still unaware of what happened earlier.

"I have friends," says Lily, "but for the most part lately I always have my guard up waiting for someone to do something _mean_ or someone to…die."

"Well, I've never been an apex of popularity but I can't imagine you _not_ having a multitude of friends. You're so nice and you always put your friends before yourself."

"Well, to some level, I think my issue is trust and there are certain people who were able to break down that wall," says Lily. "Lately I've been afraid that everyone's going to disappear – just like my parents and my sister."

"I – I'm so sorry," falters Michael.

"No, don't apologize," says Lily hastily. "I didn't mean to come off sounding sorry for myself. I think I've come to terms with my parents' death. It still hurts like hell and – why am I rambling? Why am I doing this with you?"

"We have that in common," says Michael, laughing nervously. "But – ramble to your hearts content."

"What I'm trying to say is – few people can break down my defenses. My friends and James have managed it and you have also. You're so easy to talk to. Thank you."

Michael smiles. "This sentiment is most mutual." Lily smiles too and Michael continues. "You know," he says, "even I do some things that I regret but I only do it because I wish you to be happy and safe."

Lily smiles. "Thank you," she repeats. She leans in to hug him as Nadine walks over to them.

"Good, you guys are okay," she says relieved, a smile on her face.

"Yeah, we're fine," smiles Lily.

"Look, I know you're mad and yeah, what Michael did was kind of extreme," she begins. Lily looks confused and Michael looks horrified. "But you gave him no choice, Michael _had_ to Stun you."

Lily looks at her shocked and Michael turns to face her slowly, fearing the worst.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Bellatrix is still on the loose and everyone's still out there looking for her," says Frank to Sirius. He disregards the fact that the entire school is in here basically hearing their conversation. No one is speaking but are listening with baited breath.

"I've got to get out of here," begins Sirius, trying to sit up. Frank pushes him back down.

"Are you strong enough?" he asks.

"I don't want that lunatic and her people threatening everyone else, _especially_ the people I care about," grunts Sirius weakly.

"Well, do you want me to stay here?" asks Frank uncertainly. He does not want to do anything that will jeopardize Sirius' health.

"No. You're going to go after Bellatrix and as many Death Eaters as you can," orders Sirius. "Get me out of here, it's just a precaution."

"Okay but maybe Jessica should check on you first."

"No, we're wasting time," says Sirius, standing up on his two feet.

"Mr. Black, not now," says Mr. Davis. "Marc might need more blood."

"Well that's too damn bad!" cries Kristina.

"I'm coming with you," says Marlene immediately, grabbing onto Sirius' arm.

"So am I," adds Kristina, grabbing his other arm, glaring at Mr. Davis. Marlene shoots her a dirty look and Sirius' looks down at the arm Kristina is holding hesitantly.

"Need anything?" Frank asks Jessica.

"Not unless you know a surefire way out of here," says Jessica, smiling grimly. "Thank you though." Frank nods and sweeps out of the room after the others. Jessica walks back over to Marc to see how he is doing and Mr. Davis walks up to her.

"Look, I'd just like to thank you for what you're doing for my son," he says. Jessica stands up, having had about enough.

"I've been focusing on the medical issues tonight," she says. "However, I've heard enough here to know that this is your doing, so you can _choke_ on your appreciation, Mr. Davis."

She walks away from him, leaving him gobsmacked.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Charlus walks down the stairs. He reaches the bottom and is about to continue walking when:

"Hello," greets Bellatrix.

Charlus freezes and turns around. "Bellatrix Lestrange," he says slowly. "You're much prettier than I expected. Not intimidating at all. What are people so afraid of?"

"The dark," she laughs unamused.

"They say you're bonkers."

"Something else to fear."

"Not for me," says Charlus. "I like the dark."

"We have more in common. We both see the big picture. Lily Evans is going to die at my hands for you lot even considering offering her a place in the Order once she's out of school."

Charlus stares at her.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Remus stands up.

"It's not that I don't think you can protect me, Remus," says Margaret, standing up next to him. "It's just that I care about you too much to even _think_ of the prospect of you getting hurt. Let's just go to the other room –"

"I don't feel right letting others risk their lives with me just sitting there not helping."

"You _are_ helping Remus! You're helping me, along with the rest of the school, by not adding another body to the pile! Listen to your own words!"

"Don't worry about me," implores Remus. "I can hold my own out there."

"I know that!"

"Then come on, let's go back to the Gryffindor common room."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Dorea looks at the door then shifts positions on the bed painfully.

"Some night," murmurs Jack, walking around uncomfortably. He is trying not to look at the stuff in the room.

"It'll be over soon," says Dorea grimly. She looks at the door again. "I just hope your father is all right."

"I'm sure he is," says Jack confidently. "With any luck he's captured Bellatrix Lestrange and he's shipping her off to Azkaban as we speak."

"Don't…I don't want to even think of him running into that lunatic!"

"Sorry," apologizes Jack sincerely. "I just hope that she'll be locked up sooner than later. With Voldemort's main enforcer behind bars it'll make everything a hell of a lot easier."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Why would you care about a teenage girl?" asks Charlus coldly.

"She's got too much to offer for the Order," explains Bellatrix harshly. "The Dark Lord wants her dead and if its by my hand he will be eternally grateful."

"Or he'll kill you because he wants her as a hostage, not dead," says Charlus, going out on a whim. By the scowl on Bellatrix's face, he knows that he assumed correctly. "Why don't you leave while you can before you're arrested?"

"Where's the pleasure in _that?"_

"I've heard you were bright while you were in Hogwarts, respected by others," says Charlus. "Look at you _now_. This is sad! _Pathetic."_

"What's pathetic is your feeble attempt to try and set me off so I'll make a mistake. I don't make mistakes, Mr. Potter."

"You already made one," says Charlus, his eyes flashing. "Running into me. You'll make another one if you harm the woman my son loves."

"You're as crazy as they say I am," she cackles.

"When this is all over, we'll get a joining room in St. Mungos and wipe the drool from each others chins," he says drily.

Bellatrix cackles. "When this is all over…neither one of us is going to be around to tell the tale!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Marc groans and moves upward slightly.

"Marc, Marc," warns Mr. Davis, walking over quickly to him. "Take it easy. You just had surgery and you need rest."

Marc turns to his right, sees his father, and laughs dryly.

"Oh, I must be delirious," he snorts, panting heavily.

No one says anything but looks at the portrait as Severus walks in.

"How are people from other houses getting in?" asks Jessica.

"I think the Fat Lady understands what's happening and knows at the very least to let any student in," replies Jason.

"Has Bellatrix been here?" Severus asks, interrupting them.

"No, have you seen her?" asks Mr. Davis, standing up.

"She nearly strangled Remus Lupin." Jessica gasps and Jason puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"You have to get her out –"

"I know what I have to do," says Severus coldly. He looks at Karen and his eyes widen. "Oh, Merlin," he gasps.

Mr. Davis turns around to look at her and so does Jason. Karen, however, looks at him blankly.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Kristina opens the door and helps Sirius in, much to Marlene's chagrin.

"How are you feeling?" asks Kristina.

"Lousy, thanks," replies Sirius dryly. "Why are you even here?"

She does not respond. She helps him down in a seat. Frank then trails in after them with Dorcas, having made sure no one was in the corridor.

"Kristina and Dorcas, I'm taking you to Hagrid, let's go," says Frank.

"I'm not leaving him with Marlene, she can't protect a fly," snorts Kristina. Dorcas sighs exasperated, just wanting to get to Hagrid's already.

"Oh, bloody hell just get on with it!" she snaps, and Kristina glares at her.

Marlene sits down next to Sirius. "Excuse me, I can hold my own much better than you can."

"Look, I'll be fine, but I need a wand, I dropped mine outside."

"No, don't you dare," Sirius says to Frank.

"You can't even stand!" cries Kristina angrily.

"You better know whom you're shooting a curse at before you do," says Frank, handing her an extra wand he had found outside.

Kristina stood up and walked over to Frank.

"Sirius and I will be fine, you should take Marlene to Hagrid's, she'll just get in the way."

"I'm staying with Sirius," says Marlene adamantly, also getting up. "One, because I don't trust you alone with him and two, because I can perfectly well hold my own."

Sirius looks affronted at the fact that Marlene cannot trust him to keep off of Kristina. She misses this though and continues to glare at Kristina.

"Okay, you guys do whatever you want to do," says Frank. "Do _not_ leave this classroom." He turns to Dorcas. "Let's go."

Kristina and Dorcas nod in turn. Frank walks out with the latter, closing the door after him, and Kristina looks at Marlene, who makes a face and looked away.

"This is great," says Kristina. "There's a lunatic running around this castle killing people and he can't even stand! If something happens to him, it's on your head."

She walks over to Sirius and Marlene stands there, unable to move.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You _Stunned me?"_ cries Lily, standing up, her hand holding her head. Stars begin appearing around her so she closes her eyes to regain her balance.

"Fiery one, I – I am profoundly sorry!" cries Michael, standing up and running after her, "but I had to stop you from rushing impetuously into danger!"

"How about trying 'Lily, stop!'?" she yells.

"I tried! However, when you got to the door I acted out of just – desperation and born out of concern!"

"I cannot believe that you did this. I cannot believe –"

"Look, MICHAEL WOULD DO _ANYTHING_ TO PROTECT YOU!" shouts Nadine, over them. Both Lily and Michael jump in shock. "Instead of saying 'thank you', you're just going to yell at him?"

"He _Stunned me!"_ screams Lily.

"Yeah! Trying to prevent you from doing something _stupid,_ which might have cost you your life and if you try to leave now, I volunteer to Stun you again!"

Lily stares at her in shock. They all fade into silence and some time later they jump in surprise. There are bang-like noises on the door and Alice stands up again.

"Alice! Let us in!" cries a male's voice.

She runs to the door quickly and opens it, letting in Dorcas and Frank.

"I bet you're surprised to see us," says Dorcas coldly. Alice raises an eyebrow, taken aback by her cold nature.

"I'm glad you're okay," she says to Frank.

"Yeah, well you've been safe all along. Frank made sure of that," says Dorcas annoyed.

Alice looks at her. "Frank brought a lot of people here –"

"But he brought you here first –" begins Dorcas.

Alice tries to interrupt but she continues.

" – Which obviously makes you think you're first in his heart –"

"We're _dating_."

"So did we _years_ ago!"

"Is that what this is about?" asks Frank shocked. He had no idea that Dorcas still had feelings for him. They had gone out in their third year for quite a few months but _she_ had ended things and he had started falling for Alice. Both girls ignore him though and the other three in the hut watch on in shock.

"Emphasis on the _years_. He makes his own decisions!" cries Alice.

"You don't fool _anyone_ Alice! You love Frank so much that you sabotaged our relationship!"

"Dorcas –" begins Frank.

"SABOTAGED? I did no such thing! _You're_ the one that ended your relationship with Frank and you can't blame him for moving on!"

"Guys –"

"No!" yells Dorcas. "I'm sorry Frank but you deserve better than her! She lies to you and she takes you for granted!"

"Shut up, Dorcas," says Alice, taking a deep breath.

"If anyone has acted stupid in our relationship it's _me_ by keeping Remus and Margaret's relationship quiet," counters Frank. "Just drop it, Dorcas!"

"No! I have kept my mouth shut and my feelings bottled up for far too long already!" She glares at Alice furiously.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Sirius is the one that gave you the blood," says Aaron. Marc looks at him like he is joking. "You wouldn't be alive without the transfusion."

"Why would Sirius bother?" asks Marc, staring at him.

Aaron looks at Mr. Davis. "Your father found him. Mr. Davis wouldn't take no for an answer." Marc turns slowly to look at his dad, who looks severely out of place.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Sirius chose to save a man's life, why are you acting like that's a bad thing?" asks Marlene.

"Because Marc is a sick bastard and Sirius doesn't owe him anything –"

"Well that's your opinion, not Sirius'."

"So you're speaking for Sirius now?"

"I speak for myself, Kristina, just leave this alone," he says wearily.

"Can't you see what's going on here?" cries Kristina. "You're life is too harsh for the 'delicate' Marlene McKinnon."

"I am _not_ delicate!"

"She is trying to turn you into something you're not," continues Kristina as though there had been no interruption. "You don't settle down Sirius, you like to have _fun_." Sirius cringes.

"I know more about the real Sirius then you ever will," sneers Marlene.

"I don't _think_ so. You are the latest in a long list of women –"

"Don't _do_ this, Kristina," warns Sirius.

"Are you _kidding me?_ She's just another girl who you're going to throw away once you come to your senses and get bored of her. Quite frankly, I'm surprised you didn't get it over with after she lost your child." Marlene's eyes widen in shock and Sirius' eyes flash.

"You're wrong. I love Marlene and I would never do anything to sabotage our relationship." Marlene smiles slightly, looking at him and Kristina looks at Marlene in disbelief.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Severus turns to Karen.

"You've just got to trust me, you're coming with me," he says to her.

"No, I'm not," she says defiantly. Jason cuts in.

"_What_ are you talking about?" he asks Severus.

"She's in danger," explains Severus.

"Well in case you haven't noticed, all of us are in danger," intervenes Jessica.

"Yes. Karen is not going _anywhere_," agrees Jason.

"I'm trying to save your life."

"I don't understand why I'm being singled out," she says annoyed.

"Bellatrix is obsessed with killing her sister; who married a Muggle-born and you look just like her."

Karen stares at him in shock.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So, you lunatic," says Charlus slowly, "let's see how crazy you are!" he cries, pulling out his wand.

Bellatrix hastens to pull out hers and they begin shooting multiple curses at each other. Bellatrix hits him with a curse, straight in the stomach that doubles him over in pain but he recovers and sends a body-bind curse at her, which she easily deflects.

He shoots another, which knocks her onto the ground in shock, not having seen the curse coming. He goes to throw another curse at her, which will trap her well enough so he can cart her off to Azkaban when his…

Wand drops.

Charlus grabs his chest in pain and falls to his knees, trying frantically to breathe. Bellatrix inches away slowly and he screams and falls onto his side in pain.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I should have never agreed to you bringing me down here," Dorcas says to Frank. She turns back to Alice, "because it is not fair to _him_," she indicates to Frank, "to be in the same room with you and me after all the lies you've told!" Frank slowly begins to move her back, away from Alice.

"Then _leave_, it would be better!" cries Alice. She cannot believe she forgave that bitch.

"Listen –" begins Frank.

"Oh, that is _nice!_ You would really want me to face some flipped out killer so _you're_ not uncomfortable?" Dorcas screams.

"If you want to hate me fine, just leave Frank out of it!"

"Frank is involved because of you! This is your choice! You could have let him go after he lied to you but you decided to continue dating him so you can plot a way to get back at him."

"Shut your spiteful mouth," says Alice, losing it completely.

Dorcas laughs harshly. "Did I hit a nerve?"

"Dorcas!" shouts Frank, finally being heard. He looks around at them all. "This needs to stop," he orders. "Right now."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


	45. Black and White Ball Part 9

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Recap:** Severus talks Bellatrix down, Charlus and Dorea stay in the girls' dormitory, Sirius loses consciousness while doing the transfusion, Dorcas finally snaps, Charlus goes searching for Bellatrix, Kristina ups her game and Marlene feels the pressure to hold onto Sirius, Margaret tries to reason with Remus but he is determined to fight, Karen is in grave danger, Charlus goes into cardiac arrest (what? Wizards can have it too!), and Dorcas and Alice exchange some less than flattering opinions of each other.

**In A Heartbeat**

By LilyxJames4ever

Chapter 45 – Black and White Ball Part 9

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 2 AM – 3 hours earlier**_

_CRASH!_

_Frank: Some things are too important to lie about._

"Shut your spiteful mouth," says Alice, losing it completely.

Dorcas laughs harshly. "Did I hit a nerve?"

"Dorcas," yells Frank. "You need to stop this."

"Don't you order me around," snaps Dorcas angrily. "But you know what? I will stop because Alice is never going to admit what she did anything wrong so forget I even said anything!"

"Now all of a sudden you're going to let it go?" Frank says baffled.

"Because there's no point! You won't see her for who she is!"

"What's going on here?" Michael asks Frank.

"I have hardly an idea," says Frank coolly.

Dorcas stares at Frank and the latter stares back at her and then looks at Alice wearily.

"And I don't think I want to know," finishes Frank.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I think you're still a little lightheaded from all the blood you lost," says Kristina, once she has recovered.

"Kristina, just go –" begins Sirius tiredly.

"Or maybe you're caught up in the romance of all the danger," she continues, looking at him. "But there is no way in hell that you're in love with Marlene McKinnon. You weren't in love when you said it a couple of months ago and you still aren't."

Sirius stares at her beyond irritated.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Bellatrix looks at Charlus, who is panting heavily and holding his chest, directly where his heart is.

"Do you see what you've gotten for saying I'm not threatening?" she asks. "Merlin works in mysterious ways!"

Charlus tries to scream out in pain but no sound can come out except his ragged breathing.

"So, should I finish the job up for him?" Bellatrix asks, "or should I let nature take its course?"

Charlus gasps and pants louder, his chest burning in pain.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Marlene sits down next to Sirius.

"It's true that I love you," says Sirius sincerely. He looks at Marlene. "You know that, right?"

"Oh Merlin, you're delusional," says Kristina.

"Don't fight me. You shouldn't even _be_ here, let alone be putting input into our conversation. Frankly, how I feel about Marlene is none of your business. Besides, I'm being honest."

"Honest," scoffs Kristina. "I'll give you some honesty," she says to Marlene. "You might not know this but Sirius only cares about the woman who's in his bed at the present time. He said the same thing to _me_ earlier this year, you just distracted him so he forgot where his priorities lie. This is just an act that you're –"

"Kristina," cuts off Sirius. "You're insulting Marlene _and_ me. Not to mention you're embarrassing yourself." Kristina snorts.

"It's obvious that Kristina isn't going to back off of you Sirius and I think it's time you clear the air already so I'm just going to wait outside," says Marlene, starting to get up.

"Wait, you can't wait out –" begins Sirius.

"No, I'm going to give you some privacy Sirius so you can set Kristina straight. I'm going to be right outside the door." She pauses. "I _trust_ you, Sirius."

He smiles weakly at her as she gets up and walks out. Kristina is speechless and points incredulously at where Marlene just stood.

"I know you've had a rough night and you feel like hell and Marlene's been a _comfort_ to you –"

"You're wrong. Why can't you just leave -?"

"When we're finally alone?" smirks Kristina, her demeanor changing entirely.

"Don't go there, Kristina, don't –" begins Sirius but Kristina cuts him off.

She cups her hands on his cheeks and pulls him in for a passionate kiss, catching him off guard. The kiss becomes more heated and she forces her tongue into his mouth, raiding it and savouring the taste. To his immense shock, she slips her dress over her head and begins straddling him, cladding in only her bra and panties. She slips them off and forces two of his fingers into her opening, moaning with immense pleasure. It is then that he is finally able to pull back and stare at her in shock.

"What the hell?" he hisses.

She smirks, clearly flaunting her body for him. "You're just as good as I had remembered. Let's see if you _feel_ the same inside of me…"

"Oh, bloody hell no!" he cries, throwing her off of him. She stumbles back. "Put your clothes on," he hisses. She does so, not wanting to argue with him.

Sirius groans and rubs his hand over his forehead. He cannot believe this is happening. He _loves_ Marlene and he was just straddled by his naked ex-lover, the very thing Marlene feared. He had told her, even yelled at her, that she should trust him and when she finally does he goes and betrays it. He feels sick at the thought of what could have happened if she had walked back in.

"I love _Marlene,_" he finally says to Kristina. "You can't go around forcing your _body_ on me!"

"Oh, I didn't force you to do _anything_, Sirius. You could have pulled back immediately but you _didn't_ because you _liked it_. Face it, you're sick of Marlene and you're already moving onto me again."

"You're _delusional_. I'd never cheat on Marlene with you, or for that matter _anyone._ So you can get the thought that I'm into you out of your head right now."

"You want me. You only said that you're in love with Marlene to make her feel –"

"Don't tell me how I should feel," says Sirius coldly. "I've moved _far_ on from the days where we were together. Apparently you haven't."

"I tried."

"Well I suggest you try harder because I will never feel the same way I do towards Marlene to you. Not even close."

Kristina stares at him, masking the hurt she feels in her heart and praying that her eyes do not reveal anything.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Severus rushes Karen out of the common room and into an empty classroom.

"The only reason I agreed to come with you is because you said it would keep Jason safe," says Karen, turning around to watch him close the door. "Now tell me what's going on."

"Unfortunately you look like Andromeda Tonks," says Severus.

"How does that make me a danger to anyone else?"

"Bellatrix has been obsessed with trying to kill her sister for years. Once he sees you –" He falls silent.

"Bellatrix has tried to _murder_ her sister?" she cries incredulously.

"Her mind snapped long ago. If she sees you it'll be a blood bath."

Karen looks away disturbed, then back at Severus again.

"So tell me," she says. "If you knew Bellatrix was dangerous then why the hell didn't you do something to stop her?"

Severus just shakes his head.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Charlus lies panting on the cold floor while Bellatrix stands above him smirking.

"You're not being fair," she complains. "You're cheating me out of the pleasure of killing you myself."

Charlus pants and tries to look up at her.

"You're not faking this are you?" she asks. She kicks him hard in the back and he grunts and holds his chest tighter in pain. "I guess not. You're going down for a dirt nap and I didn't have to lift a finger. I scared you to death!" she shrieks. She laughs hysterically. "_That's_ a first."

She bends down next to him.

"I never had a heart attack before, it looks excruciating," she says, looking at him. "Are you choking on the pain?"

"They say you lose control of your bodily functions," she continues. "No dignity left." She leans closer and whispers into his ear, "How humiliating."

She picks up her wand that had fallen next to her when she was knocked back. She waves it around his head.

"What would you give to be put out of your misery?" she asks. "Give me an offer. You're going to die and there's got to be something in it for me. Anything?"

Charlus continues to breathe heavier and heavier, the pain intensifying to a near breaking point.

"Fine. Twitch away! But don't say I didn't ask." She stands up and walks away, leaving him on the cold floor.

Soon thereafter James comes to the scene and gasps when he sees his father on the floor.

"Dad!" he calls, running over. "Dad, what happened?"

Charlus lies panting on the floor, unable to speak to his own son.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I think I know," says Alice. Everyone turns to face her but she looks only at Dorcas. "You never forgave me, did you?" Dorcas is silent. She always _did_ have some problem remaining with Alice after their fight though she used to be unsure what it is. It is only recently that she realized it is Frank. "You want Frank because it's something you _can't_ have. You think it'll level the playing field somehow, like I did something to deserve this…well you're _wrong._ You've been acting strange ever since you got here, really for months, yelling at me for Merlin knows what. Well you know what, sorry you can't have him."

"You bitch," growls Dorcas, starting towards her but Michael holds her back.

Frank stares at Alice and she only shrugs in return. Frank turns to look at Dorcas.

"Perhaps you should go," he suggests. Dorcas glares at him.

"You're not exactly guilt-free in this either!" she snaps, jabbing him with a finger. "You liked Alice way before our relationship ended but you said _nothing_. Why the hell would you lead me on when you _knew_ that you cared about someone else? Merlin, Frank, I thought you were better than that!" She then turns to Alice. "And _you_. You're nothing more than a bitch and a _skank!"_

"Hey, HEY!" yells Frank furiously. "You can insult me all you want, I don't give a damn, but you either leave now or shut your mouth because I'm not going to stand here and let you yell insults at Alice."

"Then perhaps you should kill me," says Dorcas simply. "Just get me out of the way right now so I can't say another word about your 'precious' Alice."

Frank glares at her and Alice sits down on Hagrid's bed wearily.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Dad? Dad! _DAD, what_ happened?" cries James frantically.

Charlus lightly pounds his hand against his chest where his heart is.

"Heart, heart, _heart attack_," cries James. "Shit," he curses. His dad gives him a look. "Right, sorry. All right, I have to get you up and get you some help." He conjures a stretcher and slowly lifts Charlus onto it, grunting under the weight. Charlus, however, begins breathing heavier so James puts him back down.

"Okay, since I'm a Wizard how about I _levitate_ you?" he says, more to himself but also to relax his dad. "_Wingardium Leviosa!"_

Charlus begins floating up and James places him gently onto the stretcher.

"James what's going –" begins Jacob. He stops short. "What happened to dad?"

"I think he's having a heart attack," says James shortly to his brother.

"Dad, you don't look so good," says Jacob concerned.

Charlus manages to roll his eyes.

"We need to get him some help," says James hurriedly. Jacob nods and begins to levitate the stretcher down the corridor.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I might be happy for you if I didn't know how this was going to end."

"I have a connection with Marlene, she gets me. She carried my child for those few months before he or she died."

"That's ridiculous. You two are from two different worlds, Sirius!"

"Are you blind? Of course we're not! We're both Purebloods who come from families that might as well be dead for the notice we get from them!"

"Besides," continues Sirius. "Don't try and tell me you know Marlene the way I do."

"No, but I know _you,_ Sirius."

"You do not."

"Yes I do! I know who you are and where you come from just as much as she does! More even! I'm telling you, Sirius, she will never understand you!"

"You're wrong."

"You are _asking_ to get hurt!"

"What Marlene and I have is no better or worse than what you and I _had._ It's _different_. It's not about games, hooking up, and drama. We both know what we want."

"You think she's going to want you when you graduate from Hogwarts?" asks Kristina. "She's going to run into the arms of any guy so fast and leave you. You're going to lead completely different lives Sirius. You and I…we don't know what to do with our lives after school. We are _guaranteed_ a future."

"You need to get over this fantasy that anything you say will change my mind," says Sirius, trying to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach at the prospect of not spending the rest of his life with Marlene. "We will _never_ get back together."

Kristina stares at him, tears glistening her eyes but she quickly blinks them back. Sirius notices this but chooses not to say anything of it.

"I wish you happiness Sirius, honestly I do. I may not show it but I know it's what you deserve." Sirius nods numbly. "And if you find out that Marlene can't give you that…I promise I won't say I told you so." Sirius stares at her.

"Well you won't have to worry about keeping that promise."

Kristina says nothing and Marlene opens the door slowly and reenters the room.

"Sirius, you need to rehydrate and raise your blood sugar level," she instructs. "I got some water and a few apples."

"Thanks, I am a little lightheaded," he says, finding it difficult to look her in the eyes. He is afraid she might see the guilt he is feeling for snogging Kristina while she is naked. He has betrayed her and she can never know this. She just…cannot.

"I told you, you were a little lightheaded," says Kristina, before she can stop herself.

"Kristina, don't do this right now," warns Sirius. He has already had enough of her antics for a lifetime.

She stands up. "You're in good hands. I'm out of here."

"No, you're not. There's a killer on the loose and her companions are waiting to clean up the witnesses'."

"Sirius, I'm sure I can handle Bellatrix Lestrange," says Kristina. "Besides, you can't tell me what to do anymore." She gives him a pointed look and he returns an exasperated one.

"Could you _possibly_ act like an adult for once?" Marlene asks her, stopping her at the door.

"Excuse me?" she says, smirking. "Look at the pot calling the kettle black."

Marlene ignores her and crosses his arms.

"You are so _busy_ trying to get Sirius' attention that you're willing to risk your life in order to see if he'll get up off the chair and chase after you."

"Sirius can't chase me. He's too weak from trying to impress you."

"_Kristina_. If you go out there in the dark, firing random curses and charging around somebody's going to wind up dead."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Jason's up there fighting to keep one of _your friend's_ victim's alive," says Karen.

"He's going to become a Healer, that's his job."

"If Jason dies I'm holding you responsible. _You_ let Bellatrix run free."

"You're right, I should have killed her in her sleep," he says sarcastically.

"I'm talking about getting her _help._ Proper treatment. There has to be another way out of this insanity besides more murder."

"The woman is well past your kind of help," sneers Severus. "This is a bad idea, I'm taking you back to the others. Safety in numbers."

"I'm going back to Jason," she says.

"Your call," Severus calls after her. She turns around. "But if the others end up getting hurt or dying because of it, that's on you."

Karen looks terrified at him and does not move.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Margaret walks down the corridor and looks to the left where the portrait hole to the Gryffindor common room is to see James and Jacob levitating Charlus down the corridor. She, herself, had been separated from Remus in the dark and she looks at them startled, almost forgetting that there are other people in the castle.

"He's having a heart attack," explains Jacob.

Margaret rushes to open the portrait hole for them and helps them get the stretcher up the girls' dormitory steps. Everyone stares at his or her retreating figures in confusion but say nothing, the Healers-In-Training monitoring Marc.

"How long has he been like this?" she asks them.

"Err – I found him maybe ten minutes ago," says James as they try to squeeze the stretcher through the door to Lily's old dormitory.

"Okay, place him right there," instructs Margaret, indicating next to Dorea.

"What happened?" asks Dorea worriedly.

"He's having a heart attack," explains Margaret.

Dorea's mouth falls into an 'O' shape and she tries to sit up to see him better.

"You need to summon a Potion from the hospital wing, _now_," says Margaret to James.

Jacob and Jack help Dorea sit up so she can see her husband.

"Charlus, are you all right?" she asks him. He does not respond. "Margaret, please, do something."

"I know, I'm going to try and stabilize him until we can get him to St. Mungos," says Margaret distractedly.

"We need to get a carriage," Dorea says, looking at Jacob.

"It'll never make it in this weather, mum."

"Well we have got to do something!" she cries.

"I know."

Suddenly, something comes whizzing into the dormitory and James catches it in his hand.

"Here you go," he says, handing Margaret a bottle of some potion.

"Can you talk to me?" whispers Dorea.

"Love…Dorea…" he says, his breathing ragged.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Potter, you just had a heart attack, okay? You lie still, don't talk."

"Okay right, don't talk," corrects Dorea. "I'm sorry I made you talk. Don't talk because if you make me a widow I'll never forgive you."

Charlus stares at her, unable to speak for the life of him.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I can't leave you alone," says Severus, walking down the corridor with Karen.

"What are you planning to do, kill your friend?" she asks incredulously.

"Karen!" cries Jason. He runs down the stairs and she runs away from Severus and into his arms. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Jessica comes down after Jason and stands behind him.

"How's Marc?" Karen asks.

"He's fine," Jason replies. "Aaron's keeping an eye on him. I'm sorry, I should have never let you go with him."

"I think Karen knew what she was doing," interrupts Jessica. "I'm glad you're okay," she adds.

"You need to get you back to the Gryffindor common room," instructs Severus. He turns to Jason. "Make sure Karen's there and keep her out of sight." He walks off down the corridor.

They all look after him.

"I don't trust him anymore than I do his master," says Jason. Jessica turned to face him and raises an eyebrow.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"This. Isn't. Happening," mutters Charlus.

"I hate to be harsh with you here, Mr. Potter but someone who clearly has been abusing his body his whole life, can't be surprised when his body hits back."

"She's right, you know," says Dorea, adjusting herself. "Some people treat their bodies like a temple. You, quite often, treat yours like the town dump."

"Heh, I'm glad you're having fun," he says dryly.

"Listen, you just had a heart attack, alright?" says Margaret. "If you try to move you may have another one."

Charlus looks at her warily.

"I'm not going to let that happen so you just lie still or I'm going to have to tie you down." Margaret turns to Dorea. "Here, put a little bit of this potion under his tongue."

Dorea pours a little onto a spoon and pours it under his tongue.

"I'll be damned if I allow you to make me a widow," she says warningly.

Charlus tries to speak but only breathes heavily instead.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"You know, you are obviously a strong, capable woman," says Marlene. "Deep…_very deep_ down you may even have a good heart but you never cease to amaze me how you act without _any_ regard for anyone else's well being besides your own."

"You don't get to talk down to me, you self-righteous shrew."

"Oh, wow! You have a problem with me? I don't care! But don't you _dare_ risk your life to try and get a rise out of Sirius. You know, you have someone who _really_ seems to like you and you would actually work nicely together. What are _your_ priorities?"

Sirius looks at them and says, "Marlene's right Kristina."

"Of course she is, you're sleeping with her." Marlene looks at her in disbelief. "But you know what? I can take care of myself and Marlene is more than capable of taking care of you. Excuse me," she says, walking past her.

"Kristina," begins Sirius, starting to get up but Marlene runs over to him.

"No, Sirius, no," she says, pushing him back down.

She sits down next to him and looks at him curiously, wondering why he is not looking her in the eye.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Jason walks over to Karen.

"We were worried about you being alone with Snape," he says.

"Thank you," she says. "Severus, however, seems genuinely concerned about my safety. Although, he is very bothered by how much I resemble Andromeda Tonks. It's creepy."

"I don't want to think about what Bellatrix would do if she thinks you are the sister she is continuously planning to murder," says Jason.

Karen smiles and Jason strokes her arm, trying to reassure her. Meanwhile, Jessica stands out of place in the background and looks up the staircase impatiently.

"Perhaps we should go check on Marc," she suggests.

They look at her, as if surprised to find her still there with them.

"I'm going with you," insists Karen.

"No, no, no. I'm going to take you somewhere safer."

"Jason, I really think I can be more useful with Marc."

"Well, let's go. We're wasting time," implores Jessica. Jason looks at her and then at Karen.

"Okay, let's go," he acquiesces.

They begin walking up the staircase but after a few steps, Jason stops short. Bellatrix comes running down the steps with a grin on her face. She points her wand at Jason, motioning him to move aside.

"More Gryffindors, I see," she says, noticing Jessica.

Jessica stands up to block Karen, who is crouched behind her.

"The castle is overrun with them, it's no wonder it's so dangerous in here," she says, facing Jason.

"It doesn't help with people waving wands," says Jason, his hands in the air for the time being.

"Oh, you don't understand, I'm the keeper of the peace." She looks over to Jessica. "What's your name?" she asks, feigning friendliness and confusion.

Jessica pauses. "Cinderella," she replies, remembering her favourite Muggle fairy tale from when she was young.

Bellatrix points her wand at her. "Wrong. I know your name, we met in the Malfoy Manor."

Jessica has an intake of breath and Jason looks at her baffled. Clearly he is wondering what she was doing in the Malfoy Manor of all places.

"Jessica," says Jason quickly. "It's Jessica Potter."

"You see how easy that was?" Bellatrix cackles. "Now Cinderella, tell me, have you ever lied to this man or cheated on him? _Or_ made him feel like a fool?"

Jessica gapes at her, then says, "No – I – I would never betray Jason and I would never lie to him." Jason smiles slightly.

Bellatrix makes a buzzing sound. "Ding, ding, ding!" she cackles. "That's a lie." She then notices Karen.

"Erm – hello there, sleeping beauty," smirks Bellatrix, remembering the Muggle story her sister once told her about. "Have you ever lied to the prince?"

"No," says Karen shortly.

"That's not very convincing, you want to step out -?"

"Leave her alone," says Jason.

"Are you telling me what to do?" asks Bellatrix, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Step out here or I'll kill Cinderella." Karen does not move.

"ONE…TWO –" begins Bellatrix loudly. Jessica closes her eyes but Karen immediately jumps up.

Jason looks uneasily at Bellatrix and she smirks.

"Don't be shy, show me your face."

Karen slowly raises her head, terrified of what will happen when Bellatrix sees who she thinks she is.

Bellatrix freezes.

"Andromeda," she speaks with no emotion in her voice. Karen looks like she is ready to cry now as she looks up at Bellatrix. Bellatrix stands stock-still. "It's you," she sneers.

Jessica stands stiffly next to Karen, wondering if she should reach for her wand or wait. She looks over at Jason and notices that he seems to be thinking along the same lines.

Karen remains standing, terrified, waiting to be killed.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"When are you going to shock him?" asks James.

"Not any time soon, his heart appears to be back to normal rhythm," replies Margaret, observing him. "But if he has another heart attack I'll have no choice but to provide a shock through my wand."

"Yes, but he's not going to _have_ another heart attack," says Dorea sternly.

"Sorry about this," mumbles Charlus, his voice scratchy.

"Sweetheart, just hang on until we can get you some help," implores Dorea.

"Listen Mrs. Potter, just keep him calm, alright? Don't let him put any more strain on his heart."

Dorea looks at her. "Why? Are you leaving?"

"Yes, I have to go check on something," she says, getting up.

"What's more important than a man's life?"

"I'll be right back," said Margaret, ignoring the question.

She walks out of the room, not seeing Dorea's surprised face. She has to find Remus and make sure he is alright and has not run into Bellatrix again.

"You think dad'll be okay?" asks James worriedly, stepping outside of the dormitory also, with his two older brothers.

Jacob nods. "He's survived far worse than this. I'm just concerned because he's obviously not as young as he used to be."

James nods also. "Do you think we should go back in there?"

Jack shakes his head. "Mum probably wants to spend some time alone with him. We should probably head back to the common room. Merlin knows those Slytherins are probably trashing it by now."

James grins and walks downstairs with his older brothers.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Kristina walks out of the big oak doors and pauses, hearing a disturbance behind the bushes. She quickly gets behind a pillar, fearing it is some more Death Eaters.

It turns out to be Jacob's brother John.

He staggers out of the bushes in pain and leans against one of the pillars.

"John, what happened? Where's Jacob?" she asks, walking over to him, forgetting her previous anger with him.

"The carriage," he murmurs. She notices blood smeared on the side of his head.

"You guys had to turn back? Is Jacob outside the gates with Miranda?"

"N-No, we made it nearly around the lake and we sent a Patronus to the Head healer Augusta Longbottom. Some healers picked up Miranda and brought her to St. Mungos but then Jacob insisted on coming back to find you."

"That's great! Let's go, I want to get the hell out of here," says Kristina, slightly unnerved but relieved.

"No," says John faintly. "The carriage…the wind began picking up and began knocking it around."

"But you made it."

"N –"

"_And_ Jacob made it," says Kristina with a hint of desperation in her voice.

"No. I lost him Kristina. The carriage got knocked over as we were passing the Black lake and fell into it. It started to fill with water and he never came up. I don't know how he could have survived this."

Kristina stares at him, her eyes shining.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sirius continues to drink the water that Marlene refilled for him.

"There's no way that you're going to go running through this castle," says Marlene, rubbing his hand. "Your blood pressure is still too low and you could pass out or have a stroke…"

"When'd you become a healer?" Sirius jokes.

Marlene sighs exasperatedly and looks at him.

"It's common sense Sirius." Sirius lets loose a bark of laughter.

"What?" he says.

"What? You know me, I'm practical."

"Why are you overreacting?"

Marlene is about to reply but finds she does not know how to respond.

"I – Y-You can barely walk!" she cries indignantly.

"Well…"

"There's no way that I'm going to let you chase after Kristina when there's a mad, crazed, killer out there who has made you one of her mortal enemies. Come to think of it, I wouldn't want you chasing after her in the best of conditions."

"Still…better me than Kristina."

"Kristina is _not_ helpless," says Marlene patiently. "She has a strong sense of self preservation or her _other_ enemies would have destroyed her by now. She would just love it if you went chasing after her, don't give her the satisfaction."

"Kristina and I dated, albeit briefly. She thinks because she came before you that she'll always come first."

"Does she?" whispers Marlene, voicing her insecurities.

"Of course not!" cries Sirius, his voice cracking slightly out of surprise. "How could you think that?"

"I don't know…you seem to be more interested in her as the days go on. She…seems to be getting to you easier."

_Will she able to see in my eyes that we shared a kiss?_ Sirius thinks anxiously.

"Sirius?" says Marlene worriedly. Sirius looks at her. "Are you okay?"

"I thought you trusted me," he says harshly, surprising Marlene and him. He wonders where he gets off saying such a thing when he did indeed do what she has been afraid of for months now.

"I do," she says earnestly, and his stomach churns. "I've been learning to trust you more and more as the days go on, Sirius. I know now that you would never do anything to jeopardize our relationship." When he does not respond she asks, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," he replies absentmindedly. "You have to believe that you'll always come first when it comes to who I care about, Marlene. It's just that Kristina and for that matter, anyone else, believes that it is impossible for me to actually _love_ someone and to be _in love_ with them."

Marlene stares at him, not knowing what to say.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

John grabs his arm and moans in pain.

"The carriage went under with Jacob still in it."

"Jacob is okay," says Kristina, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Jacob was always a strong swimmer, ever since we were little and he didn't come back," pants John, doubling over in pain.

"If that is so then that's why we've got to get to the lake so we can help when he gets back. Let's go," orders Kristina.

"No, he's my brother, I searched for him everywhere and did everything, believe me. I would have traded places. He's gone Kristina, Jacob is gone."

"You shut up!" shrieks Kristina, swinging back and slapping John. He staggers back and pants, his face feeling as if it is on fire. "Jacob is alive and he is coming back to me!" she shouts.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Despite the nasty allegations she made, I feel terrible for yelling at Dorcas," says Alice. Dorcas had left soon after the end of their argument, not wanting to stay another minute. "I honestly thought we had put all of our past issues behind us, she never gave any indication of feeling hurt that your relationship ended."

"If she really hurt, she should have told me years ago," Frank says bluntly. "It's not your fault that she began tearing into you. What were you going to do? Stand here and take it?"

"She's right. I caused all this and I was completely wrong."

"This isn't your fault Alice –" begins Frank.

"This night is a wreck! Everything about it is wrong! I just can't believe all this is happening," cries Alice, sitting down on Hagrid's bed. She puts her face in her hands and begins to cry softly.

Frank sits down next to her and wraps her arm around her comfortingly, trying to convey through this simple act that he is right there with her. While it provides temporary protection, she cannot help but feel vulnerable and for the first time in her life, wishes that she had never been born into the Wizarding world. Then she remembers something. If she were not born into this world, she would have never met Frank.

Frank. The epitome of braveness and courage and essentially, Gryffindor. Without Frank, she would not be who she is today. Without Frank, she would not be Alice.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Bellatrix stares at whom she thinks is her sister and grabs Karen's arm roughly and pulls her over next to her.

"You shouldn't be here Andromeda," she sneers.

"My name is Karen," she says softly.

Bellatrix stares at her, her beady eyes full of malice and inside her head spins nefarious plots of how to kill Karen in the most painful way.

"Mrs. Lestrange," says Jessica, moving forward slightly. "Why don't we just go someplace where we can all talk?"

"You and the prince here want to keep me away from Andromeda," says Bellatrix coldly.

"That's not what I meant." Jason grabs her arm slightly and pulls her back, surprising her and sending chills down her spine.

"We _do_ need to go somewhere and talk before I deal with you," says Bellatrix, smirking at Karen. "But first," she turns around and looks at Jessica and Jason, "these two have to pay for keeping you from me."

"I don't want anything to happen to them," implores Karen.

"Why not? They're characters out of a fairytale. They're not real."

"Let them live and I'll do whatever you want, even if it means letting you kill me."

"Alright. One lives, one doesn't and you get to choose since I'm feeling generous tonight."

Karen quickly changes from pale to a shade of green.

"Who dies?" asks Bellatrix. "Cinderella or the prince?"

Both of them look at her and she tries to take a steadying breath but only begins to cry harder.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A/N: Please review!


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